Karano
by Kishi
Summary: Chapter the 13th: Choices are made, and Zuko hatches a bold plan to break the walls of the city.
1. Unrelated Circumstance

Kishi: Well, the beginning. Yep. Not much to say, but I do hope y'all enjoy!

---

Kara-no

Chapter 1

Unrelated Circumstance

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The dawn came, cold and clear. It did little to warm the mountain peaks on which it shone, but many observers had always spoken of how majestic these mountains were when their snowcaps had become snow clothes, and the dawn light would strike, turning the mountain range into one long sparkling geode.

The one person, that day, who was in any position to comment was busy dreaming of the day when spring would tempt tender blooms from the trees down below, when warmth would return and his home would be rife with the heady aroma of pine. But alas, his dream could not continue forever. The sun streamed into the cave, hitting a smoke-blackened wall and shyly slid down the wall and across the floor, gradually illuminating the figure huddled against the wall. It finally arrived at his face, forcing him to sit up after a moment or so and rub furiously. Afterwards, he stood up and stretched, letting his long brown hair fall forward, obscuring his eyes again.

He noticed the remains of his fire smoldering in the corner, so he walked over, added small twigs, then gradually larger, and larger until the fire was of an appropriate size again. Then, with another stretch, he pulled on his garments – dirty, threadbare, loose cotton pants, a jacket of similar make and condition, a grass vest with blades long browned, and a pair of worn but reliable sandals.

Then, grabbing a long, roughly hewn walking stick, he stepped out of his cave, shifting aside the makeshift door that was really little more than dead branches laid across slats. After standing for a full minute and pondering his surroundings, he walked down the mountain, through the pines and the hibernal trees further down until he reached the frozen stream. It was wide enough, but not deep enough to be a full-fledged river. That didn't keep fish from swimming up into these heights and getting frozen, however. He walked along the banks, back up hill before finding a few silvery streaks frozen in place. He grinned, nodded to himself, and used his stick to start hacking into the ice.

It took the better part of an hour for each, but he needed the food. He continued upstream from there, finding two more intermittently. Then, with the sun just past noon, he trooped back to the cave with his catch, where he proceeded to thaw and cook them, smoking three of them for later. It wasn't much of a meal, but the fish were good, and at least he had extended his meager stores another day or so.

With the last of the day's dying light, he went out into the woods again to find any sort of wood he could use for the fire. He searched everywhere he could reach, but when nightfall came he had barely half an arm's load. Still, he reflected as he walked, this was no big thing. He was no stranger to lean winters. He got back to the cave, closed the door, added a stick to the fire and sat against the wall, staring into the flames and thinking before sleep finally came and took him.

All in all, it had been a good day.

---

"Hey guys?" Aang's voice chimed from the front. Sokka and Katara looked up. "I think Appa's a little tired," said the Air Bender. "I think we should set down and rest for the night."

"Good idea, Aang," said Katara. "Do you see a clearing?"

"Um… yeah. I'll take us down."

---

When he woke up again the next morning, everything seemed the same. He added wood, got dressed, grabbed his stick and stepped outside.

Nothing felt different. Nothing looked different. So he suspected nothing when he set out into the woods to look for rabbits.

---

"Get your beauty sleep?" was the affectionately smart comment Katara received when she woke up. She looked groggily at her brother and shook her head.

"No… doesn't look like you did, either."

Sokka mimed getting shot through the heart. "Good one!" In spite of herself, she couldn't help but grin as her mind continued to wake up. She looked around and saw that Aang was stirring in his sleeping bag as Sokka was stretching. "Well," he finally said, "I think I'm gonna go see if I can find anything out there. Can't count on supplies forever, especially with King Bumi's money running so low."

"I'll bet we could've taken some money from those pirates," said Aang thoughtfully.

"Yeah, Aang, we had so much time to just grab their stuff," said Sokka. "Or at least Katara did…"

"I love you too, Sokka," grated Katara. Sokka simply laughed again and wandered off into the trees.

She wasn't normally so snappish with her brother, not really. But the water scroll was still weighing heavily on her mind. She'd learned her lesson from the deed, she just needed to learn the techniques, but they'd set such a hard pace getting away from the pirates and the Fire Nation that she hadn't had the time to really practice.

Aang had tried to be kind and hadn't so much as touched the scroll. But that only made her feel worse. She knew in her mind that he was under the same time constraint that she was, but she couldn't help but feel responsible, like it was all on her that he couldn't move on.

She looked over at him, smiled slightly at the sleepy expression on his face. She stretched and sat back, considering what to cook for breakfast when Aang looked past her and his eyes widened.

"Um… Katara?"

"Yes, Aang?"

He began to stand up. "Behind you!"

_What?_ She turned and gasped. Standing there, silent as a ghost, was a wild man. His hair was long and unkempt, overflowing and covering his eyes in shadow. He also had a long beard stretching down to his chest. His garments were dirty, dusty, worn. They might have been black, but it was hard to say.

Upon noticing that he himself had been noticed, he reached out a hand. His mouth moved, but instead of sound there emerged an incoherent groan. He coughed.

Katara frowned, trying to gauge the odds. It was two benders against a man who was possibly insane – or worse, diseased. He didn't look as if he'd eaten very much in a long time, so he was probably weak as well.

Suddenly, he stepped aside, and Sokka stumbled past, the force of his swing carrying him forward.

"Sokka? What—"

"Don't worry, sis, I got this one."

Sokka swung again, a lateral strike that the man blocked easily enough with his stick. The man looked at him, and though Katara couldn't see his eyes, he seemed to have a questioning look. Sokka withdrew and swung low this time, aiming for the knee. Again, the stick blocked, but this time the man drew his left foot up at the same time and kicked, sending the hapless warrior sprawling.

As they all three readied themselves to fight the man shook his head. His hands went up, and this time the dull rasp of his throat formed a word: "Wait." The three looked at him quizzically as he looked around. Then he crouched, gathered some snow in his hand and put it to his mouth. His eyes closed briefly as his mouth worked the snow and swallowed, then he looked at the three.

"Forgive me," said the man, his voice a bit less raspy and containing traces of a baritone. "It's been a while since I've been able to find clean snow to drink."

As he crouched down and repeated the gesture, the two Water Tribesmen paused at its familiarity. Finally he stood up, having cleared a lot of snow away from the tree.

"You aren't a bandit, are you?" asked Aang.

"No," said the man, his voice lacking a rasp. "I live further up."

"Lucky!" said Aang. "I bet you get to slide a lot."

"Don't I wish," said the man, shaking his head. He seemed bemused.

"Yeah, well," said Sokka, "it's been nice meeting you, but I think we're going to have to get out of here soon, so…"

"Oh, I don't think so," said the man. "You see those clouds?"

That was when the group of travelers noticed that the sunlight had dimmed, hidden by the cloudy pillars that were rapidly approaching from the north and east.

"Yes," said the man. "I for one think it would be unwise to travel with that sort of weather. But that's just me."

"Do you think Appa could make it?" Katara asked.

"If we'd gotten started sooner," said Aang. "I don't think we'll make it in time, though. We should try to get to shelter."

"There is my cave, you know," said the man. "It's not much, but it should be enough for all of us. We might even be able to squeeze your beast in."

"Oh, I dunno about that," said Sokka. The bison stood suddenly, his arrow pattern now showing.

The man looked at it, speculating. "Perhaps not," he said, finally. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," said Aang. "You'll be fine, won't you boy?" The bison grunted, which was about as good a confirmation as any.

"Well, then, if you please," said the man. He watched as they put out the fire and gathered their sleeping bags, then set off up the mountain. The skies continued to darken, and the wind began to pick up as well. Snow began to fly off of the drifts, more and more until a blizzard formed, clouds of snow interrupting their path.

"It's just a little farther!" called the man. They struggled up the hill, Katara leaning on Sokka, Aang on his glider. The bison trudged on as if it was all in a day's work.

Finally they reached a clearing. The man shifted aside a wall of branches, showing a cave.

"Quickly!" called out the man. "Everybody in!"

"Wait a minute!" said Katara. She raced to the saddle and began to take out a bunch of jugs. Sokka and Aang ran to assist, and began to walk back to the cave. The man held the door in place as the wind continued to go faster, faster, until they all exhaustedly crawled into the cave. The man pulled the door into place, and sat down. The warmth of the fire spread throughout the cave as the group lay, panting on the floor.

"It just occurred to me," said the man. "I've got three smoked fish. No way that'll be enough for all of us."

"No problem," said Katara. "We were bringing in supplies."

"Eh?" The man sniffed. "Food. You have food."

"Yeah. You know, stuff you eat?" said Sokka.

"It's been a lean winter," replied the man. "I haven't seen copious amounts of food in a long time."

They rested a minute or so longer before they finally wearily rose and set about the business of cooking. Soon, the cave was filled with the smell of meat and vegetables and rice. Katara had learned a lot about the domestic arts, and the men weren't entirely useless either.

As they sat down to eat, the man said, "So, two Water Tribesmen and an Air Nomad. Not exactly a common group."

"You're not exactly common yourself," pointed out Sokka. "For instance, that makeshift chimney that you hollowed out." He pointed above the fire to the small hole where the smoke swirled. "You don't seem to have any tools. How'd you do it?"

The man grinned. "I have my ways."

"Great," groused Sokka. "Another Earth Bender."

The man seemed content to let the issue lie, because he said then, "But what about you? What is such an assemblage doing in a place like this?"

"We're on our way to the North Pole, to study Water Bending," said Aang.

"You and she both?"

Aang nodded. "But if an Air Nomad can even consider the idea," said the man, "then he or she could only be the Avatar… am I correct?"

"Yep!"

Katara's eyebrows twitched. _He caught _that_ one pretty quick_, she thought.

"You don't go to pains to keep that a secret, do you?" asked the man, his voice containing a trace of amusement.

"Why should I?" asked Aang. "The appearance of the Avatar is a good thing, right?"

"Definitely," said the man. "But the appearance of a good thing is the sort of thing that evil frowns upon." He shrugged. "But you should know that better than anyone."

Aang nodded. "I know. But does one exist without the other?"

The man stared for a second. "A fair answer," he said. "I would take up the debate with you, but night comes early out here, and I imagine your friends could think of other things to do than listen to us go on."

"You're probably right," said Aang. "I think I'll go to sleep, then."

They rolled out the sleeping bags. "Are you sure you'll be all right?" asked Katara.

"You forget I've been out here longer than you have," said the man. "I'll manage." He smiled in gratitude, however.

They curled up into their sleeping bags, and the last thing Katara saw before closing her eyes was the man sitting against the wall, eyes intently on the blaze.

---

The prow of a small Fire Nation ship jutted cruelly into the harbor, the black metal in bleak contrast with the bright blue sky. The port of call was technically a town, but it was really little more than a village, a collection of dwellings and a wall on the shores of a mighty river. The villagers moved with haste, scrambling to resupply the ship of their new masters.

Zuko scowled. It wasn't that he was scornful of the people or their homeland. It was the burn marks on the buildings, the browned husks of shelters, the blackened craters, and the furrows ripped in the ground. The town was a shambles, almost in ruins.

_This place is small_, he thought. _Isolated. There can't have been a large garrison here, if there was one at all. But whoever attacked struck with the idea of destroying this place completely._ His fists clenched, but since his arms were crossed, nobody noticed. _Where_, he snarled in his mind, _is the honor in killing peasants!_

"Prince Zuko!" called a voice. He looked back along the docks to see his uncle, Airoh, approaching at an unhurried pace.

"What are you doing out here, Uncle?" he asked.

"I am standing and listening to your question," replied Airoh. Zuko scowled as Airoh went on, whimsically, "I also thought I'd like to stretch my land legs a bit."

"Don't get too comfortable," said Zuko. "As soon as the supplies are loaded, we're setting sail."

"You aren't going to stay to admire Zhao's handiwork?"

"You're saying Zhao was behind this?" asked Zuko, his voice taking a decidedly foul tone.

"Zhao believes in total victory, or at least his subordinates do," said Airoh. "No battle is complete until the enemy is broken at your feet."

"That's fine for enemy armies," said Zuko. "They knew the risks when they signed on. But peasants have enough troubles with their lives without this ruin."

"All soldiers start as peasants," said Airoh. "No peasants now means no soldiers later."

Zuko glanced at his uncle's expression, and noted that the usual hint of a fanciful smile was absent. He knew enough about his uncle to know that he was whimsical and erratic, but this lack of whimsical erraticity pointed to something else.

"No peasants now means no farmers or craftsmen either," Zuko answered carefully.

"Correct," said Airoh. "I'm glad to see you pay attention."

Zuko shrugged. "I must be the best, so I pay attention. And in any case, it only proves that Zhao's a fool. He gets a victory now and cripples himself later."

"Perhaps," said Airoh, as the line of supplies continued to move.

_This reflects poorly on you, father_, thought the young prince. _Do you permit this slaughter? Is this how you would unite the world?_

"_Watch out!_" cried out a voice. Airoh and Zuko turned to see that the thin line of guards had been overwhelmed, and a group of three Earth peasants were running toward them. They had knives in their hands and the looks on their faces clearly outlined their intentions.

Zuko and Airoh waited quietly as the assassins advanced before stomping forward, letting twin gouts of flame erupt from their hands. The assassins were blown back by the heat and slid to a stop just as guards came running from the ship. The assassins sat up only to have the spears of the Fire Nation pressed to their throats.

"Dogs of the Fire Nation!" spat the one in the middle. He was the stereotypical Earth Kingdom type, dressed in drab greens and browns, with a face tanned and lined from working in the fields.

"I could have you killed with a moment's notice, peasant," said Zuko, his voice conveying his disdain. "Choose your words carefully."

The man swallowed, but his eyes were still livid.

"The penalty for assassination is death," said Zuko. "I could carry it out right now, in front of all these others. You would be an example of all who stand in my way. Why shouldn't I kill you?"

The would-be assassins remained quiet, sullen, offering no justification.

"Prince Zuko," Airoh muttered, "you can't kill them."

"And why not?" growled Zuko.

"Because if you do, you only prove that Zhao's methods are correct."

The insight flashed in his mind, and he swore. But his uncle did have a point. "It seems that today, the Heavens favor you," said Zuko. "You get to live." He turned to the guards. "Take them to the Brig!"

As they nodded and stood the assassins up, he turned to the source of the voice that had warned. She was on her knees, face down in the dirt. Her silvery hair suggested an old woman, although her hands remained without wrinkles.

"And you, woman," he said imperiously. "Why did you help me?"

She lifted her face to him, and he was surprised by two things – that the grandmotherly figure he'd expected was, in fact, a girl who couldn't have been older than he; and that instead of the deep brown eyes of an Earth woman, hers were a luminous silvery shade.

"I tire of the bloodshed, milord," she said. "If you died, we would have suffered. I didn't want to see anybody die today." She put her face back to the ground.

"So you spoke up to help everybody else." Zuko stared at her, considering. "You," he said, finally, "have shown an aptitude for service. I wouldn't have you serving anyone else. You will come with us, as a reward for your actions."

She looked up, her face surprised. "I… but… milord…"

"Does something keep you here? Family? Lands?"

"Neither, milord," she said. "I work under the innkeeper, as a maid. But how have I earned such a reward?"

"You saved my life," Zuko said, bluntly. "What higher merit would you seek, girl?"

"None, milord. I am content."

Zuko nodded. "Very well, then." He turned to one of the guards and instructed him to run off to the inn to inform about the transfer of employment, then turned and walked up the dock. Airoh was close behind.

"You can't call her girl all the time," Airoh said in an idle tone.

"Why not? She's a servant."

"Does she not warrant more than 'girl?'"

Zuko sighed, then turned back to the girl, who had quietly followed them. "What is your name?" he asked, his voice not unkind.

"Reiko, milord," she said.

Zuko nodded, gave his uncle a meaningful look and started walking again.

"She's pretty cute, too."

"Uncle," warned Zuko, but his mind couldn't help but wander back to the girl. Her face was fair, her features delicate, her body slender, and she moved like a willow in the wind, her long silvery hair dimly reflecting the sunlight.

---

When they had fallen asleep in the cave, it hadn't been much past midday. So they awoke on towards the evening, feeling refreshed. The man still sat there, staring at the flames, his features suggesting contemplation.

"Have you been sitting there this entire time?" asked Katara.

He shrugged. "It's hard to do otherwise with all the wind and snow," he said.

Sokka sighed as he sat up. "Great. If that blizzard's still going, there's no way we're leaving tonight."

"No worries. I don't mind the company."

"But we're kind of in a hurry," said Aang. "See, there's this comet coming by the end of the Summer. The Fire Nation intends to draw power off of it and use it to get even stronger. They'll take over the whole world."

"Hmm. Have you mastered any of the elements yet?"

"Just air," sighed Aang. "I'm working on water, but I can only learn so much until we get to the North Pole."

"Well, your progress isn't bad," said the man, thoughtfully. "It'd be pretty close, but I think you can do it."

They sat, listening to the wind howl. Finally, the man spoke again. "I'd like to travel with you, if I may."

"Why would you want to do something like that?" asked Katara.

"Because you have food," said the man. "And, to be honest about it, I feel utterly sick of leaving the world to stew in its affairs. Perhaps I'm being too idealistic, but I'm sure that if I travel with you, I'll be able to make a difference."

"Could you give us a minute?" asked Katara, looking meaningfully at Sokka and Aang. The man nodded and turned back to the fire as the other three squatted close.

"What do you think?"

"I think he's a nice guy," said Aang. "And he seems really smart. I think we could use a guy like him."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" asked Sokka. Aang smiled disarmingly. Sokka shook his head. "Anyway, I'm not sure about this. First of all, we don't even know his name. Second of all, we found him here living all alone on a mountain. What sort of guy does that? And third," he said, ticking it off on his finger, "he smells."

Katara looked at him. "What's your name?" she asked, turning to the man.

"Shin," he replied.

"Why were you out here?"

"It wasn't punishment, if that's what you're getting at. I came out here just to get away, but the years started adding on."

"Do you bathe?"

"When I can. I go to the river and dunk myself, but that hasn't been possible for some time now."

Katara looked back at Sokka, almost smug.

"All right. Bathe, and you've got a deal," Sokka finally conceded.

"Good. Thank you," said the man. He bowed his head and turned back to the flames, but this time Sokka thought for a second that he saw the flames dance across silvery depths.

---

Kishi: Yeah, I guess that's about it, really. There's not a whole lot else to think about, really. I do, however, have one question.

:the author dons a pair of coke-bottle frames:

Kishi: According to my studies of Asian language, some of the names and their spellings and pronunciations don't seem to compute.

Example: Water Tribe names are all apparently based on the Japanese language. If such is the case, they should follow the pronunciation rules. Sokka should be 'Sow-ka,' with a hard K. Katara should be 'Ka-ta-ra,' not 'Kuh-TAR-uh.' Aang should be 'ahng,' not 'Eang.'

The Fire Nation also suffers this phenomenon.

Example: The character Iroh's name is pronounced 'Aye-row.' But if that's the case, the spelling of his name should be 'Airoh' to preserve the sound; his name would otherwise be pronounced 'ee-row.' Others include Shinu (Shainu) and Shiyu (Shaiyu).

Kishi: It's just a curiosity of mine that I wonder about. Take it as you wish.

Avatar: The Last Air Bender is copyrighted to people who aren't me. I don't know who they are, otherwise, I'd give 'em credit.

The only things I own in this story are those things that I perceive as being original, and thusly are mine. If you recognize something that you came up with first, all credit goes to you.

I have no clue where you can contact me. I think the address is in my profile…


	2. Journey to the West

Kishi: Don't ask me _how_ I managed to write this thing in the middle of a summer stint as a door-to-door salesman. I just don't know.

---

Kara-no

Chapter 2:

Journey to the West

---

The cold metal of the cell offered little in the way of comfort. The walls creaked with the pounding of the waves, reverberating and groaning with the force brought to bear.

The three peasants sprawled on the floor. Their cell had no cots, only four solid walls and a hatch, with small opening for the bowls of rice that had been their meal.

All three of them were silent, until the ringleader sighed, stretched, stood, and said, "I think we've waited long enough."

"D'you think the boat's ready?" asked the second one, a wiry man with long lanky hair.

"Who knows?" asked the first. "We can steal Zuko's boat if worse comes to worse."

"Yep," said the last. He was tubbier than the others, plonked down in front of the cell door like an immovable boulder. But he snapped himself to attention none the less.

"All right, then," said the leader. "Let's move out."

---

The storm in the mountains had abated for only a moment, but that had been enough time for Appa to get into the air. Now they flew north, the sun off to the right, casting its glow over the cottony down of the sky. There was an almost solid mass of the stuff below, but there were wisps and clumps everywhere above, so it was not altogether unbearable.

Shin sat in the corner, his walking stick propped against his shoulder. His eyes were once again distant, peering out into the wild blue yonder, his thoughts unknown and unvoiced. Aang reclined at the front, laying back at his ease, pulling some tricks with the marble. Katara sat midway in the basket, staring intently at the scroll, her eyes scanning rapidly and her hands twitching, eager to use the techniques contained.

"So… hungry," groused Sokka. He lay curled up in a ball, staring at the baskets – recently emptied.

"Don't worry," said Aang from the front. "We'll set down soon enough. We'll be able to find supplies then."

"That's great, Aang," said Sokka. "That's great, that's really… yeah, fine. Thing is, until then, I'm still hungry!"

"Then think about something else," said Shin. He turned his head, but that was the only indication that he was actually looking at the young soldier.

"Like what?" Sokka snapped.

"What's important to you?" the hermit replied.

"Being a good soldier is a big deal," said Sokka. "Beating Zuko's a pretty big deal. Getting food is there too."

"Concentrate on the first two."

"Why not the third?"

"You're doing that right now and you're utterly miserable. Focus on the other two to the point that nothing else is in your mind except being a god soldier, and beating Prince Zuko."

"How does that help?" asked Sokka.

"Because the more you concentrate on your goals, the more you align your mind with achieving them. The more you orient toward the goal, the more you try to match with it."

"Huh?"

"What he's getting at," said Aang, "is that you need to have the right kind of focus when doing something. Otherwise, it's just not possible."

"So if I just sit here and focus on being a better warrior, it'll just happen?"

"It won't hurt any."

Shin shook his head. "I just said that."

"I didn't hardly understand any of it," said Sokka. "Concentration and alignment and orientation? Why didn't you just say 'Focus'?"

"But I…" Shin sighed, shook his head. "Never mind."

They were quiet again for a while, Sokka still curled in the fetal position with his hand clenching his stomach. At least he was quiet now.

The clink of coins announced Katara's investigation of their personal monies. "Looks like we're almost out of money, guys," said Katara. "If we stop off at a town, it'll be our last town for a long time."

"It'll be okay, Katara," said Aang. "We'll figure out something. Heck, I could do tricks for money."

"Yeah, there's an idea," said Sokka. "Remember Kyoshi?"

Aang's face fell. "Oh yeah."

"Don't worry Aang," said Katara, smiling reassuringly. "It won't come to that."

Shin peered over the side. The clouds had dispersed as they traveled, showing little islands of land in a sea of peach.

"I see a town down there," said the hermit.

"Where is it?" asked Sokka, crawling over to him.

"I see it too," said Aang. There it was, a low sprawling town built on a mountain. Trees stretched around it for what looked to be miles and miles.

"A mountain town means a hot spring," said Shin.

"I hope it's free," said Katara. "Otherwise, I don't see how we'll be able to afford that and supplies."

"Don't worry, Katara," said Aang, taking his turn to smile. "We'll figure something out. Maybe there'll be a crisis to solve or something."

---

"This is impossible," said Zuko. His brow was furrowed in thought, his eyes glaring over every inch of his prisoner's cell.

A cell that was conspicuously empty of its occupants.

"So let me hear it again?" he asked, turning to the jailer.

"There's nothing to hear that you don't know already," said the burly guard. "Guards were placed at the entrance of the cell. The prisoners were still there. There was a brief point where the guards were changed, when nobody was here to stand watch. When the guards arrived, they checked all the cells. Only that one is missing prisoners."

"I see. And there's no sign of tampering with the lock?"

"No, my Prince," said the guard. "In fact, there's no sign of the lock at all."

"Oh yes, I'd forgotten about that," snarled the prince sarcastically. "The lock just disappeared into thin air, leaving the door wide open for them to leave. _No tampering!_" He slammed his fist into the wall, leaving a scorch mark. The guard, wisely enough, remained quiet.

_The entire crew should be loyal to me_, thought Zuko. _There's only one other who might not be_…

"Get this cell repaired," said the prince before running out of the brig.

He ran through the narrow metal passageways, past soldiers and sailors going to bed or to breakfast or to their posts, before reaching the hatch to the deck. He threw it open and sprang out, seeing his uncle standing at the bow. He seemed utterly relaxed.

"_Uncle Airoh!_" Zuko roared. Airoh jumped and spun around, turning to face him.

"Nephew," said Airoh, hiding a yawn, "it's too early for all this hustle and bustle and assorted commotion. What's going on?"

"We've had a prison break," said Zuko. "The three assassins are gone, and there are signs of tampering with the lock."

"That does seem to be a problem," Airoh acknowledged thoughtfully.

Zuko ground his teeth. "Have you heard anything from the guard that was stationed to keep watch on the girl's cell?"

"He kept watch on her quarters all night," said Airoh. "We even made sure he had enough Green Tea to stay up the night. She didn't do anything, and the vents are too small for her to crawl through. Besides, where would she pick up the tools to tamper with the lock?"

Zuko growled, but he had to concede the point. "All right then. I'll go lead a search of the ship. We'll find them before they can—"

"The tea you requested, General," came a quiet voice. Airoh beamed as Zuko turned around. Reiko was sitting there, dressed now in the dull red tunic and pants of a servant. Her long silvery hair was bound back in a simple ponytail, and she also wore a smile as she knelt on the deck. Before her were a teapot and two cups on a tray, as well as an envelope.

"Ginseng, I trust?" asked Airoh hopefully.

"As you requested," she replied. She poured him a cup and held it up to him, which Airoh accepted with a calm grace.

"I also have a message for you, your Highness," she said to the prince. She held up the envelope to him, which he took, ripped, and scanned the contents.

"Well, we have a lifeboat missing," said Zuko finally. "That seems to answer the question of where the assassins are. I want the ship searched anyway, from top to bottom. I want to be doubly sure that they're gone."

"Your tea is ready," came her voice.

He rounded on her. "You think I'd be drinking _tea_ at a time like this?"

"The general requested tea for two," said the servant. "I thought you'd be the other."

"I don't have time for this," snapped the prince. He turned around and stalked off.

---

It was an odd party that walked up to the gates of the Earth Kingdom town. Two were dressed as youths of the Water Tribes, but one had the low wide hat of a traveling monk, and the other looked to be a mountain man, tall and foreboding.

"Aren't we inconspicuous?"

"It was the best we could do," said Sokka. "Besides, it got us into Omashu. I'm sure that we'll get in here easily enough."

They did. They passed through the gates and began to walk the hewn streets. The buildings all had the same green sloped roofs that were trademarks of the Earth Kingdom, and all the buildings seemed to grow out of the ground as though they were natural rock. Vendors lined the streets, hawking their wares – including a jittery cabbage merchant who seemed to tremble with the slightest breeze.

"Does anybody see a public bath house?"

"I see 'em," said Aang. "But they all cost money."

Shin hummed in thought. "I wonder if—"

Suddenly, there were screams from the closest bathhouse. The group turned and stared as people came running out of the establishment. Some were clothed… and, to Katara's blushing chagrin, some were not.

Shouts erupted, trying to coax and cajole bathers to return – but to no avail. Finally, the house stood empty.

The group stared at the owner of the establishment, a short and portly woman with a long braid stretching to her mid-back. "Ai-ya!" she sighed. "The Monkey King strikes again, I see. I didn't think he could touch us though…"

Aang walked up to her. "What happened, ma'am?"

The house owner shook her head. "We were caught by the Monkey King. Our shampoos and soaps were filled with fleas, our scented oils with butter. He even made the water go cold! _Cold!_ From a hot spring!" She sighed. "I just wish I knew how he did it."

Katara and Aang both shared a look. Shin, however, turned to the lady and said, "Is everything all right now, though?"

"Oh yes, yes, of course it is," said the woman, taking on a very businesslike air and tone. "The problem's getting customers back in. Everyone's been convinced that this is an unsanitary place."

"Perhaps a show of good faith could bring your customers back."

She snorted. "And who would dare to bathe here today? It'll be a week before anyone trusts me after something like this."

"Let me bathe here," said the hermit. "Let me get washed and groomed. That'll give you customers in a couple days."

"Would you?" she asked, her face hopeful.

"Only on one condition," said Shin. "You give me these things for free."

"I _beg_ your pardon?" she asked, archly. "I need money to maintain this place for my customers, especially after today, and you want to bathe for _free_?"

"Think of it as an investment, madam," said Shin, leaning back. "You invest in a little goodwill now, to get back on your feet quicker. Think of all the money you'll save just because of one act of charity."

The owner frowned, looking at him hard, but Shin didn't change stance or posture at all. Finally she shrugged. "You've got a point," she said, grudgingly. "Come on, then, let's get this over with."

Shin nodded and turned to acknowledge the others. The light flashed across his eyes, allowing a momentary view through the tangle of his hair, and he winked at them before following the lady into the house.

"Smooth," noted Sokka.

"Good for him," said Katara. "But I'm thinking more about what that lady said. Hot spring water going cold?"

"That is pretty weird," said Aang. "Do you think it could be water bending?"

"How else could it happen?" she replied. "I think we need to find the mayor."

One of the vendors was happy to point them to the magistrate for the city, a large central building bearing no real ornamentation except for the symbol of the Kingdom.

Aang walked up to the guard standing at the doorway. "We're here to see the minister."

"Do you have an appointment?" asked the guard.

"Um… no?"

"Then you don't get to speak with the mayor. Move along." Aang started to say something else, but at this point the guard looked sternly ahead and refused to acknowledge him.

The group took a few steps back. "Now what?" grumbled Sokka.

"Hold on guys," said Aang. "I have an idea." At that moment, a group of city dwellers walked past them and up to the guard, all crowding and surrounding him. Aang nodded to himself and ran, bending the air around him to go faster, faster, until he made a leap, jumping up to one of the second floor windows and clambering in.

"Wow," said Sokka with a low whistle. "That was pretty good."

"I dunno," said Katara. "I'm beginning to wonder if maybe Shin's having some sort of influence on him."

-

"I trust everything is to your liking, Master Shin?"

"Almost," he replied. "I just don't like being referred to with the honorific is all."

"Nonsense. With all the money you're saving me, you merit at least an honorific."

"Perhaps." Shin stood and wrapped the towel around himself. The bath was classic – cypress walls, a low pool of water cut into the stone floor. He had already been groomed, his hair cut, his beard trimmed. Now to just find his clothes in the adjoining room and go to—

"Excuse me," he said, "but my clothes seem to have gone missing."

"I burned them."

Shin blanched. "Everything?"

"Everything." The owner entered the room carrying what looked to be a parcel. "I figured, as long as you were going to be my goodwill case, I should go all out."

Shin opened the parcel and found new clothes – a cotton jacket, loose pants, and a pair of sandals, all in the drab browns of a peasant.

"These all belonged to my husband before he passed away," said the owner, her voice a touch nostalgic. "I'd like you to have them now."

"No, madam, I couldn't, I—" Shin stared at her expression, then nodded. "As you wish. Thank you for the clothes."

She nodded and smiled.

-

"Excuse me. I need to see the mayor?"

"Do you have an appointment?"

"Yes I do. I just don't know where he keeps his office, you know?"

"Understandable. He's in that last door on the left."

"Thank you, sir." The traveling monk tipped his hat and walked away, coming to the last door on the left. Opening it, he saw an old man with a gray beard sitting behind a desk, dressed in the long green regalia of an Earth Kingdom official.

He looked up at the traveling monk. "Who are you? What do you want?"

The monk removed his hat. "My name is Aang. I came here to—"

"Do you have an appointment with me?"

Aang sighed. "What is it with you people and appointments?"

The mayor sniffed disdainfully. "I don't have time for your trivial concerns. If you don't have an appointment, you'll have to leave. Guards!"

"But wait! I'm the Avatar! I—"

"Rubbish!" chortled the mayor. "That's just a children's tale." The guards walked in.

"Take this fool and deposit him outside," said the mayor, bending back down over his desk. Suddenly a gust of wind blew all his paperwork off the desk, leaving also his hat askew on his head. He looked up to see the four guards sprawled out on the floor and Aang with his staff in hand. That was when the mayor took note of the arrows on the boy's head and hands.

"An Air Bender?" asked the mayor. His eyes widened. "But that could only mean…"

"Yeah," said Aang with a noncommittal shrug, "I'm the Avatar. I noticed you guys were having some trouble here in town and I thought I'd stop by. Who's the Monkey King?"

"Oh my," sighed the mayor. "Not him again. This would mark the third time he's struck."

"Who is he?"

"What is he? That's the better question," said the mayor. "Nobody ever catches a direct sight of him. All we know is that he appears, pulls a prank, and disappears. We call him Monkey King because whenever he does something, the monkeys are never far behind."

"Monkeys?"

"Yes. They always appear at or near the scene of the crime. They don't do anything strange, but their being there is enough."

"Has any of the Monkey King's pranks hurt anyone?"

"Nobody yet, fortunately. But if they keep escalating, as they tend to do, I am concerned that he will hurt many of us."

"All right then," said Aang, standing up.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to go into the forest and ask him to stop," said Aang.

The mayor looked incredulous. "That's _it_?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

The mayor sat back, tiredly. "Fine then. You can find him out in the western forest. Good luck."

-

"I hope I'm not too late," came a familiar voice.

Katara turned around. "No, not late at…"

"Sis?" asked Sokka. "What is i…?"

The only recognizable features of the man's face were his silvery eyes. The beard had been shaven away, leaving a firm, angular jaw line. His hair had lost all the twigs and leaves, and furthermore had been trimmed, leaving a small tail of hair to jut out over the nape of his neck. Gone were his rags, replaced with the clean simple olive-tan garments of an Earth peasant.

Sokka nudged Katara in the ribs upon noticing that she was still staring. "Sure cleans up nice, doesn't he?"

"Oh hush!" she said, albeit a little too quickly, and her cheeks blossomed with color.

"Hey guys!" came Aang's voice, soon followed by the sound of his footsteps. He stopped when he saw the guest and said, "Nice to see you again, Shin."

Shin shrugged as if it were no big thing. "So what's happened?"

Aang proceeded to fill them all in – about the Monkey King and his pranks, and the mayor's fears for his people.

"Did he mention anything about a reward?" asked Sokka hopefully.

"Sokka!" Katara snapped.

"What?" he asked with a shrug. "We need food. Maybe he'll reward us if we get rid of this Monkey King or whatever."

"Hmph! You sound just like a mercenary."

"Oh come _on_. You know you're just as hungry as I am."

"Regardless of whether we are rewarded or not," said Shin, "going out to the forest will at least afford us an opportunity to forage for supplies."

"And we should try to help these people out anyway," said Aang. "So let's get going already!"

---

The odds were two on one. Two with more experience, more knowledge, and the tactical advantage of numbers.

The one shook his head and snorted. As if this were something new.

A gout of flame erupted from the hands of the one on his right. He fell backwards, then stood on his hands and kicked towards the feet of the offender, sending a wave of flame. As the attacker stumbled back, Zuko replanted his feet and came up with his hands moving in Fire pattern, blocking the overhead chop of the other and sending a ball of flame into the abdomen.

"Your movements are very well performed, Prince Zuko," said Airoh. "As I have come to expect. But you still have the same problem as usual."

Zuko sighed, as though he were trying and failing to keep his temper. "How, Uncle," grated his voice, "am I to focus my breathing when I'm fighting for my life?"

"It's a simple matter of breathing in time with your movement. Inhale," said Airoh, drawing a fist to his chest. "Exhale," he said, shooting the fist out. A ball of fire burst out, roughly twice the size of the one Zuko had shot into the soldier earlier.

Zuko growled but he set his face resolutely nonetheless and stood ready as the soldiers stood back up.

"Has he always been that way?" asked Reiko quietly from her position at Airoh's feet.

Airoh sat down. "He's always had an incredible amount of focus," said the retired general. "And he's driven to be the best. But he's far too hard on himself."

"Would that have something to do with his banishment?"

"Yes," said the general, his face taking a far-off look. He had sensed that Reiko would make a good conversationalist when he realized that she was the quietest one on the ship. One always had to look out for the quiet ones. So, to get her out of her shell, he'd taken to ordering tea for two and spending a little time every day just talking to her. She'd opened up soon enough, but she still spoke seldom unless she was spoken to.

They both sat there and watched as Zuko continued running the same patterns over and over again.

"How's that, Uncle?" asked Zuko after the twentieth repetition.

"It's good," said Airoh. "But it's not good enough. Remember, you have to train until the movement becomes one with you, until you can move through it like you move through a walk."

Zuko gave a tight grin of satisfaction before turning back to the other soldiers.

"That boy works too hard," said Airoh, yawning. "I'm getting tired just watching him."

"I thought you said—"

"I know what I said. Practice until you can take it like a walk. A walk is no problem, but what he's doing is wearing me out just sitting here."

Reiko smiled a very small smile, but it was there nonetheless. "Such an odd contrast, milord," she said. "One moment a general, the next a jester."

"Life is too short to take without laughing at it," said Airoh, as if he were a sage. "I'm just supplying a need." He winked at her.

"So, if you are so wise," she said, "you can tell me the meaning of life, correct?"

"Yes," he said. "The meaning is this – tea. Lots of tea."

She began shaking at that point, but by the way she hid her face Airoh predicted her amusement.

A loud thump issued forth as the heat from a gout of flame sent the prince sprawling.

"You're over thinking it," said Airoh. "You don't think when you walk, so you shouldn't have to think when doing this either."

"Yes, Uncle," said Zuko, after a moment's hesitation. Airoh nodded to himself. That instant had been all he needed to know that Zuko had been preparing an excuse before biting it back and going to work again. _Too stubborn_, he thought sadly. _The way is open for him at any time, and he fights it over and over_.

"Milord!" came a shout from behind. Airoh turned to see a messenger running from the hatch. "Milord," said the soldier upon his arrival, "the crow's nest reports Fire Nation ships off to the north, bearing north northeast."

"A fleet?" asked Zuko. "Who's leading them?"

"The ships bear Zhao's banners."

Zuko snarled. "Zhao would only be going to the northern Water Tribes for one reason – he knows the Avatar has to be there."

"More than likely," conceded Airoh. "He's also incredibly likely to set up a blockade as soon as possible – and he'll not let you pass a second time."

"Then we'll have to get around him before he sets up," said Zuko. "Tell the helmsman to change our course to bear northeast, and tell the engine room to pour on all speed!" The messenger bowed and ran off, Zuko close behind.

Reiko stood, a small smile playing across her features. "He doesn't sit still for very long, does he?"

"Never has," said the general.

---

The sunlight had grown unusually bright, but the shade of the leaves dispersed it easily enough. The scent of the woods threatened to overwhelm at times, except for the muted breeze that passed through every now and again. Birds sang, insects buzzed and whirred, but there was no accounting for the one sound they needed most to hear.

"Where are those monkies!" groaned Sokka. "For a place that's supposed to be full of 'em, I don't see anything at all!"

"That may mean the king is waiting for us," said Shin, his eyes roving. "Don't let your guard down."

"Hey, no worries there," said Sokka. "You're looking at the best warrior in all the Southern Water… hey!" He pointed for, lo and behold, a basket full of peaches lay near the trunk of a tree.

"I wonder what it's doing there?" asked Katara.

"That _is_ a little weird," said Aang uncertainly, but Sokka was already running.

"_Food!_ Oh, how I've missed you so! Let me hold you right before I eat you!" Sokka sprinted, sprang toward the basket and collided head on. The group held its breath, but there was nothing except for the sounds of munching.

"What a relief," said Katara. "I was expecting something to happen. Come on, let's go see if we can get some before—"

The ground around the peaches exploded as Sokka and the basket rose into the air, clutched in the concealed net. Sokka, for his part, was so lost in the ecstasy of eating that he barely noticed his circumstances.

"It's all right," said Aang. "He just has to cut his way out."

"D'you hear that?" Shin shouted up, but Sokka didn't respond.

"Guess I'll have to tell him," said Aang, running toward the tree. He promptly tripped and fell, yelling until a loud _whump!_

"Aang!" shouted Katara, running forward, albeit more carefully. That was how she saw the trip wire and the pit. She feared the worst as she peered over, but was relieved to see Aang, groggily shaking his head.

She shook her head. "Time to get up," she called down. "I think we've got to get out of this place soon or else—" She suddenly felt herself pitch forward and land on top of the recovering Air Bender.

"Ouch! Katara, what'd you do that for?"

"Sorry, Aang. I think we've been tricked. Hey Shin!" she called out.

"Yes?"

"Could you help us out of here?"

"Ehm… well, no."

Katara blinked. "Why not?"

"I seem to have made the acquaintance of a few of the natives. I'm a little tied up at the moment."

"Natives? What do you mean?" And then a simian face surrounded by brown fur appeared over the edge of the hole, and she understood perfectly. Other faces peered down, chittering and chattering back and forth as a tree branch was extended down. Katara was amazed that they had the strength to pull the two humans up, but pull they did. Afterwards, though, they were tied with some sort of strange grass rope that, while not apparently strong, was enough to bind them.

They were led along no discernible path, but the monkeys seemed to know the way perfectly. The group trudged on through the afternoon, until the early evening, with the sun setting before them, when they arrived at what could only be called the throne. It was a tree, bigger and taller than all the others, and with denser foliage. Monkeys scrambled about all over it and the surrounding trees, while a single monkey sat in a center crack. He was smaller than the others, his fur patchy and uneven, but his eyes betrayed a certain intelligence that the others seemed to lack.

"So, humans," it said at last, its voice harsh and guttural, "what are you doing in my forest?"

The whole lot of them were too dumbstruck at the idea of a talking monkey to answer.

"Never heard a monkey talk before, eh?" said the monkey, doing a fairly human smirk. "Never seen one do _this_ either then." He made a pulling gesture and water poured out of Katara's water skin, some shooting into an orb about the monkey's hand. Katara's eyes widened.

"You can water bend?"

"Yeah," said the monkey. "It's a simple trick, just like talking. Never could get the other elements, though."

"You must have had to go to a lot of places to figure out all that," said Shin.

"I used to be a peddler's monkey," he said. "But he sold me off, so I decided to run away from the doddering fart he gave me to and came here. But you still haven't answered my question." He gestured, sent the ball of water to float over Katara's head.

"Now answer me," he snarled, "or I'll set this on her head and drown her. What are you doing in my forest?"

"We're here to talk," said Aang quickly. "The people back in the town are worried about your pranks and…"

"They weren't worried when they wrecked my home," snarled the king. "They didn't worry when they started knocking down the homes of my followers. We would've shared the land, but they stole it right out from beneath our feet."

"So that's what it's about?" asked Katara. "Revenge?"

"Revenge, yes," snarled the king. "Revenge good. Make them pay for what they did to me, did to us."

_This is no good_, thought Sokka. _This isn't a group ready to go to war. It'll be a slaughter if this king's plans go through._

"What would it take for you to not do this?" asked Aang.

"If you humans would get the hell out, it'd be fine," said the king.

"That won't do," said Shin thoughtfully. "I suppose planting more trees isn't an option either, eh?"

"That would be fine," said the king, much to the surprise of the humans kneeling before him. "But we can't trust the humans. We can't negotiate with them. That mayor is howling for me, and I'm the only one who can talk to him."

"So if someone went to talk to him, you'd be glad to put all this aside?"

"Yes," said the monkey king, "but you're expecting me to trust you with this message?"

"I'm the Avatar," said Aang. "It's my job to bring balance to the world. It's my duty."

The king stared at him for a time, his frowning crinkled brow becoming, if anything, more crinkled for frowning. Finally, he said, "I'll let you go back. But no funny business. Otherwise, the lady here gets it."

-

The dust cloud rising behind him was the first clue to the Avatar's arrival. Guards standing along the walls peered and commented, wondering what could be behind such a rush. Then the dot hopped and flew, and they saw the thin frame of the Avatar hanging off his glider.

He climbed higher, flying over the wall, straight to the center of the city, jumping into the magistrate's building through an open window. He was so busy that he didn't even hear the shout of "Hey! He doesn't have an appointment!"

He ran through the halls, finally bursting through the mayor's door. The mayor looked up, his hat slightly askew. "Have you finished him? Is it over?"

"Not yet. He says he's going to get even with you guys if you don't plant trees to make up for the ones you took from him."

"Trees! What do trees have to do with this?"

Aang proceeded to explain about the nature of the king.

"Nonsense!" barked the mayor. "Why should we bow to his threats? He's a prankster! Nothing more!"

"He's a Water Bender," said Aang. "He knows about the hot springs here. I bet he could hurt a lot of people, especially the bathers."

The mayor paled. "But we need that land," he said, albeit more quietly. "The city's growing every day. If we don't expand, we'll have overcrowding and disease."

"But you guys could bend the earth around the trees, right?"

"Well, we could… are you suggesting we share our land with the monkeys?"

"That's what seems to be best."

The mayor stared at Aang for a moment before sighing.

---

The water ball hung a hairsbreadth from Katara's head.

"Sure is taking his sweet time about things, isn't he?" asked the King.

"Oh, don't worry," said Katara. "He'll be back."

"You have a lot of faith in the boy," the King said, his voice deadpan. "I'd hate to see it ruined."

There was a rush of wind, and suddenly the Avatar was there, refolding his staff.

"About time you got back," said the King.

"He says he'll share the land," panted Aang. "Bend the town around the trees that he's going to start planting for you."

The king scoffed. "Did you actually see him do this?"

"Well, no, but I…"

"Don't you know you can't trust that man? Honestly, what an inco—"

"He gave me a sign of goodwill," said Aang.

"Oh? And what kind of sign could I take from him?"

Aang presented a palm to the King. The King stared - and blinked.

"Well, well, well," he uttered bemusedly. "Those are seeds to cypress trees. Those only grow in the city's limits. Some proof."

A monkey suddenly scrambled down the branches. It looked bothered, agitated, and begin to chitter wildly.

"Hey! Slow down! Now start again." The monkey manage to look annoyed before starting over. The King nodded thoughtfully.

"What is it?" asked Aang.

"Chiku here says that he's seen soldiers digging holes around the city. I guess that chump was true to his word."

"Then will you let the others go?" asked Aang. The King gestured, and the others were unbound.

Sokka stretched. "Ah, about time. Let's go see the mayor about some food."

As they began to walk away, the king called out, "Oi! Feel free to stop by sometime whenever you're in _our_ neck of the woods!" The pun struck him as hilarious, coaxing a roaring laugh as the humans trekked on.

---

Kishi: Ha. You guys should have seen the original ending. It was more than just sloppy, it was terrible! I hope this mitigates things somewhat.

Avatar: The Last Air Bender is copyrighted to people who aren't me. I don't know who they are, otherwise, I'd give 'em credit.

The only things I own in this story are those things that I perceive as being original, and thusly are mine. If you recognize something that you came up with first, all credit goes to you.

I have no clue where you can contact me. I think the address is in my profile…


	3. Running a Gauntlet

Kishi: Eep. I forgot to mention the legal stuff last time. I will make special note of this at the end.

---

Chapter 3

Running a Gauntlet

---

The day dawned, cold and clear. The clouds were painted in varied shades of crimson as the sun rose red in the distance.

"Red sun in the morning," mused the guard aloud. "Sailors take warning."

"Fortunately, we're not sailors," chimed a voice behind him. The guard chuckled. "But if there's a red sun tonight," she purred, "I'll show you something to delight about."

The two of them stood at the top of a glacial wall. Jagged icy towers rose around them, the sun reflecting off of their polished surfaces. Behind them, all the structures were made out of snowy blocks. Houses stretched behind them, towards the Temple. The Temple itself had previously been right on the verge of being in the water, before the Priests had decided that they were too vulnerable to the Fire Navy. Now a snowfield stretched out for a mile, and the wall had been built to encompass what was, essentially, the only city of the Water Tribes in the entire North Pole.

The guard, had he been a younger man, would have blushed at the implications, but it had been so long that he was used to her by now. She came around to the corner of his eye and leaned against the rampart. She was tall, for a girl, with short brown hair, dark eyes, and the dark skin of all her tribesmen. She was, however, unusually buxom, even given the chest wrappings; there was no mistaking her sex.

"So what news?" she asked lightly.

"Nothing yet," he said. "There's no sign of the Fire Nation ships our scouts warned us about."

"Good." She stood up and stretched, though the guard wasn't sure if it was for his benefit or not.

"So what are we supposed to do today?"

"Well, there's no Tribe war to occupy our time," she said thoughtfully, "so we take the day off, I guess."

"You mean _you_ take a day off, while we patrol and get drilled."

"That's how your breaks go, remember?" she asked with a cheeky grin. "You guys do that stuff for fun. I treat a day off like a day off."

The guard snorted and turned as the young girl began to walk away. Then, suddenly: "Yuki! Look!"

The girl was back leaning over the rampart in an instant, her eyes intent. On the horizon, columns of smoke were rising.

"So _there_ they are," she mused softly.

"So much for that day off, eh Chief?"

She clenched one bandaged hand. "This'll do just fine."

---

The moon shone down on the bison in the sky, flying steadily onward. In the last week of travel, Aang had been pushing hard. It got colder and colder with the passing of days, but the Avatar didn't seem to notice it at all. He was always on Appa's head staring intently to the north. In those few precious instants when he could be persuaded to rest, he was staring at the Water scroll, as if all those moves he'd already memorized could somehow divulge a secret that would make the difference.

Tonight was exceptional because it was a night where all in the party were convinced that it was good to travel through the night. Aang, no matter how driven, had always hated to see Appa suffer for such a hard pace, but they were only a day away… and no land in sight. They _had_ to get to the North Pole – they simply had no other choice.

"Would you look at that," said Sokka, from his prone position, staring up at the sky. Above him, multi-colored trails and auras arced through the sky. "Looks like the Spirit Flames have lit," he said. Katara could hear the grin in his voice as he said, "It almost feels like home, doesn't it?"

"I've heard of these things," said Shin. "But I've never seen them before. I'd always heard them called Heaven's Veils."

"Heaven's Veils?" asked Sokka. "Where the heck do you see any sort of veil in there? Nothing about those flames looks like a curtain to me."

"Always about _you_, is it?" asked Shin, but she could hear the teasing note in his voice.

"I mean, really, how could anyone see anything like curtains or draperies up there?"

"See how they just disappear into the night? Think how high they must be!"

"Yeah, _right_."

Leaving the two to their debate, Katara crawled towards the front, where Aang lay looking up at the sky.

"Oh," said Aang. "Hi, Katara."

"Hey. Are you doing OK?"

"Yeah, just admiring the light."

She smiled. "It's been a while since I've seen them too."

They were quiet for a time, watching the ebb and flow of light across the sky.

"I can't believe we've finally made it," Katara marveled. "I know it's kinda funny to say, but I never thought we'd actually make it here."

"It always seemed so far away," said Aang. "But we'll be there tomorrow. I can't wait to figure out some new moves!"

"Oh, _you'll_ do fine," said Katara. "It's _me_ I'm worried about."

"What do you mean, Katara?"

"I mean…" Katara paused, unsure of how comfortable she felt with telling him. But she saw the clarity in his eyes, the quiet understanding. "Well," she said at last, "you always pick it all up so easily. I'm sure you'll be through training with the Temple in a week, at most. But it always takes me months to get anywhere with any of this stuff. I don't want to slow you down."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," said Aang, grinning. "You'll be just fine."

"How can you say that?"

"Because I believe in you," he said, as if that profound statement of faith were only simple words. They struck a chord in the Water Bender's heart, and she suddenly felt like laughing and crying.

They continued toward the north in silence, for Shin and Sokka seemed to have drifted off.

"So why have you been pushing so hard?"

"Hm?"

"You haven't had a decent night's rest in a week," said Katara, her voice taking a slightly sterner timbre. "And you barely eat anything for all your pacing. What are you so worried about?"

"I just feel…" he seemed at a loss for words, until he finished: "Nervous."

"Nervous?"

"Yeah. I mean, what if things have changed? What if the Northern Tribes won't teach me? What if there _are_ no more Tribes? The comet's going to be here in a matter of months! There's no time for mistakes of any kind!"

"Aang…" Katara reached down and patted his shoulder. He turned to look up at her. "Don't worry about it," she said, smiling. "I know you can do it. You've gotten around everything that's come up so far, and I know you'll do fine here too."

"I hope so," he said uncertainly.

"I know so," she replied. "And for what it's worth, I believe in you too."

Aang grinned and turned around, but Katara could have sworn that she saw him blushing.

_Can't be. Must be a trick of the light_, she decided, and lay herself down to sleep.

---

_In… 2… 3… 4… 5… 6… 7… 8…_

Out… 2… 3… 4… 5… 6… 7… 8…

_In… 2… 3…_

The knocking on his door knocked Zuko out of meditation. Sighing, he said, "Come in."

The door swung open to admit Airoh, who stepped in with a scroll in hand. "Good evening, Nephew. I have the maps you requested."

"Good." Zuko let the candles return to their normal levels before replacing them in their lanterns around the room, as Airoh spread the maps on the table. He also began to place models on the map of ships.

"Here's the Northern Wastes," said the general after his nephew sat down before him, dressed in the black meditative robes. "And here is the fleet as Zhao is likely to have it set," he continued, indicating the line of ships along the southern coast.

"Yes," said Zuko. "Ideally, we'd want to go around it, but Zhao's likely to have a bead on where the Avatar's going. Since we've been following his ships, the odds are good that we're going to hit the fleet."

"Perhaps," conceded the general. "However, going around should be easy enough. Zhao can't guard the entire coast. The only thing we lose is time."

"That's the one thing we can't afford!" Zuko hissed. "Every day that passes, the Avatar will learn something new and grow more powerful. We have to capture him _now_!"

"Very well, then," said his uncle. "What is your plan for how we should proceed?"

"We should let the Avatar do the work for us," said Zuko, his eyes narrow, shrewd, calculating. "Let him break up the blockade. We can hang back and wait for him to show up and disrupt it. Then we'll break through the gaps and pursue him."

"A fine idea, nephew," said Airoh, "but you haven't learned very well. Remember the last time we tried something like that?"

"At the Crescent Island?" Zuko rubbed his head tiredly; of course he remembered what had happened.

"But this would be different, uncle! We'll be waiting for him this time, anticipating his movements! All we have to do is follow through where he breaks through."

"That seems unwise. You'd be relying too much on a variable you couldn't control. Remember the Glorious Strategist's lesson—"

"Simple plans leave less room for error," growled Zuko. He'd heard those words since he was a child.

"Exactly," said Airoh, with that broad oblivious grin of his. He turned his gaze back to the map. Scratching his chin contemplatively, he murmured, "I do wish we had more intelligence to work with. If we knew _where_ the Water Temple was, we'd be able to skip this whole business and be waiting for him right there."

"Zhao's probably got that figured too," said Zuko, scowling. "Which puts us right back where we started."

There was a knocking at the door. Eyebrow quirked, Zuko called out, "Come in."

The door swung open and the prince's eyebrow quirked higher as Reiko stepped inside. She was dressed in servant's eveningwear – a dark red frog-top and similarly colored pants. Her arms were left bare, as were her feet, and her hair was undone. She was carrying a teapot of the usual Fire design with a dragon's head spout and everything. The only real modification here was that it had been fitted with 4 small slots for holding cups.

The light glinted off her silvery eyes as she knelt. "The tea that the general ordered."

"By the heavens, girl, are you everywhere?" snarled the Prince. He knew he shouldn't be so hard on her and regretted his words, but it was late, and he was tired, and he was getting ready to be in a bad way if he didn't figure a way around this mess.

"Only where you are," she said.

"Do you not sleep?"

"Only when you do."

"Most of the other servants would be in bed right now."

"You called me to serve you," she said, her voice quiet. "So I do. I swore loyalty to _you_, my Prince. Have I displeased you?"

"No, it's just—"

"Ah! Tea!" Airoh beamed, looking up from the map for the first time. "And Reiko! What a pleasant surprise. Come in, please!"

With that, Reiko stepped forward and shut the Prince's door. Zuko breathed deeply, trying to contain his temper. _After all_, he rationalized, _the only thing she's done wrong so far is whatever you tell her to._

As she poured out the tea into the small cups, he looked tiredly at the map. "Uncle, we've got to figure out how to break through this thing. When the Avatar breaks through Zhao's forces, we've got to be right on his tail or waiting for him when he arrives."

"I understand your sense of urgency, Zuko, but I think in this case we're going to have to take the long way around," said Airoh, guiding the model of the ship to a point on the coastline.

"Perhaps we could create a ruse of some kind?" asked Zuko, sipping the tea.

"That _could_ work," said Airoh, his voice thoughtful. "But how are we going to fool a man like Zhao? He saw through the last ruse you pulled, and I don't think he'd let us pass so easily a second time."

The two soldiers stared back at the map as minutes passed, sipping tea.

"Oh!" said Reiko suddenly. "What about flags?"

"Flags?" asked Airoh. Then his features lit. "It's brilliant!"

"I don't follow you," said Zuko.

"It's simple," replied the general. "We run up the signal flags that warn of disease. We run really close to the ships, and they'll let us through."

"I'm not sure Zhao would fall for something like that…"

"He knows of your drive to capture the Avatar at all costs. He would expect you to keep going, even if your ship had contracted the plague."

"It's a gamble."

"True, but there are many more controllable elements this way."

Zuko's eyes blazed. "All right. We'll do it. We'll get the flags up first thing in the morning and keep the deck cleared of all life. That'll help us look sick."

"Should I see to it myself, milord?" asked Reiko.

Zuko looked at her, met her silvery gaze with his molten amber. Then his gaze softened slightly. "No. Go get some rest. You're no use to me if you're dead on your feet."

"As my Lord commands," she said, rising to go.

"One other thing," said the Prince. She turned to look at him. "Get more rest. I seriously have no use for you if you're dead on your feet. And that's an order."

As it just so happened, at that very instant the moon was shining down through the window, illuminating the patch of shadow that she had retreated to. All of her features were illuminated in that pale glow, her silvery hair and eyes gleaming in the light. And then she smiled, and the expression gave her a mysterious, otherworldly air, as if that slight quirk of the lips were enough to make her less real.

As Zuko looked at her, it dawned on him for the first time that this servant was extremely beautiful. She bowed in all of her willowy grace – and suddenly, the moonlight disappeared, and she was gone.

"I do believe that's the first real kindness you've shown to her this entire time," said his uncle.

"She isn't like the others on board," he said. "She never complains about how tired she is, or how her joints ache."

"Perhaps you should be more astute."

"I'm as watchful with her as I am with the others, but still I can find no fault in her. One would almost think her a warrior, to keep her hours and still be able to function."

"You have to be more careful with cute girls like her," said Airoh, leaning in conspiratorially. "Work them too hard and they age before they're due."

Zuko blinked. "What do I care? She's a servant."

"Oh isn't it obvious? She's utterly dedicated to you, moreso than any other servant you have on this ship. I think it's pretty plain what she wants."

"To be a concubine?"

"_No_, nephew," sighed Airoh. "I think she wants to be friends."

"Friends? With me?" The Prince snorted. "I don't do that, remember?"

"True, but there's no telling whether that's a good thing or not."

The Prince shook his head and finished the rest of his tea. "I'm going to bed," he said, and began to extinguish the lanterns one by one.

---

Zhao smiled to himself, taking a deep breath of the sea air. Today was going to be the day, _the_ day when the Avatar was captured. Then this whole business would be put to rest, and the admiral would be able to go back to the important things, like the war. That damnable prince would be out of his way as well – without an Avatar to capture, his naïve sense of honor would keep him banished forever.

With no prince to take the throne, the odds of Zhao's succession would look positively stunning. But that was in the far-off, and he had to concern himself with the present.

His fleet was aligned along the southern coast, on constant alert for any sign of that bison the Avatar rode. The catapults were already deployed and loaded, and Fire Benders were standing by to ignite the ammunition at a moment's notice. If those countermeasures failed, there _were_ the experimental rounds, but he doubted there would be a need for those.

Assuming the Avatar broke through here, he would have to break through the ships blockading the cove where the Tribe 'city' existed. But it wouldn't be there much longer, not with the land forces he'd deployed from those ships to attack directly.

_No food_, he mused. _No trade. No aid from the other Tribes. They'll be completely cut-off. _He grinned. _We'll crush them flat into the ground!_

"Admiral!" Zhao turned to see one of his soldiers standing down below. "The _Shen_ has just reported a sighting of the Avatar, coming in from the southeast, bearing north northwest. They're requesting orders."

_About time_. "Open fire," he said. The soldier bowed and signaled the flagman, who began signaling the neighboring ships. Zhao looked to the skies and… yes, there he was. The ships continued cruising in their old pattern, but he saw red balls shooting from the ships in the area. The bison dipped in and out of the smoking trails, falling into the clouds. The rounds followed them in, the clouds disappearing in a steamy haze, but the bison was already descending to the sea.

_Don't they already realize that such is a particularly poor idea?_ he asked himself before he saw exactly _how_ low they'd gone. The bison was skimming the water, and suddenly he saw that the closer they came, the more difficult it would be for the rounds to hit them. His mind raced through strategic alternatives. Of course the Fire Benders would unleash their powers on the beast as it passed, but there was the chance that they wouldn't be able to bring it down. And once they passed, again, obtaining firing solutions would prove almost futile.

"New signal!" he shouted to the soldier down below. "Tell the ships to move faster. We'll ram that beast of theirs if they get too close!"

The soldier had a doubtful look on his face, but he saluted nonetheless and began running signals. All the ships began to move faster, maintaining the same pattern, and still the Avatar refused to change his course or altitude. "Ready!" he called out to the catapults as his ship came within firing range. "Aim!" Creaks and groans filled the air as the counter-weights on the catapults were adjusted. He could hear the port-side catapults adjusting as well; they'd have to take a longer shot if the Avatar made it past.

"FIRE!" A hail of fire swung up and out, flying toward the Avatar in a devastating arc. The Avatar began to duck and dodge the sprays of water, weaving left and right. One fireball did get close, but a wave of water erupted in front of the beast; helped forward by a gale wind, it completely consumed the projectile.

The Fire Benders onboard all rushed to the starboard side, sending gouts of flame to intercept the beast. It flew overhead. Two of the Fire Benders combined their attacks and shot a huge fireball after them, but the Avatar appeared over the tail and swung his staff. A gust of wind deflected the blast off in another direction where it proceeded to fade into nothing.

Zhao swore to himself. Those Fire Benders had abandoned their posts in their zeal to fight the Avatar. They would have to be punished for it, especially seeing as he needed them in place to use the experimental rounds. _Ten lashes each and half rations for a week ought to teach them their place._ He nodded, satisfied, and was about to retire to his quarters to figure strategy when a soldier hailed him.

"What is it?"

"Admiral, a Fire Nation ship is steaming towards us."

The admiral didn't respond but to pull a looking glass and peer toward the horizon. There it was, it-

"Zuko," Zhao growled. So the Princeling had come to play. But there was no sign of the royal pain anywhere on deck. In fact, the entire thing looked nearly devoid of life. It seemed to Zhao that they'd have to crush it (which he wasn't entirely against) when he noticed the flags. He read each one carefully, and his eyebrows raised as he pieced the signal together.

DANGER: HAS CONTRACTED PLAGUE. AVOID AT ALL COSTS.

He snarled. No way the little upstart would keep pushing with the Plague on his ship. He was responsible enough to know that they should have stopped at a port along the way and seen to medical aid.

… Then again, he pondered, if Zuko had been tailing the Avatar all this time, he had no doubt seen him somewhere and would have pushed on even with all his soldiers falling around him. He certainly seemed to be recklessly driven at this point, approaching the blockade as if it would part to let him through.

Which, the admiral realized, it would have to if it wanted to avoid the plague.

He gave the order to let the ship pass, but as Zuko passed by, a plan began to form in his mind.

---

"Ha ha! We made it!" crowed Sokka.

"We're here… we're really here," marveled Katara, staring at the arctic beauty.

"Yeah. Now we can make some progress," said Aang, grinning at Katara.

Shin, for his part, avoided the levity, looking down at the next blockade. It was an arced array, blocking off the cove where the Water Tribe city sat. But as they flew overhead, there was no real activity, aside from signals being passed.

Sokka thought he heard the young man say something, but when he looked back to check, Shin seemed so distant that it was hard to imagine him saying anything.

_We finally made it_, he marveled. _Maybe we're not so hopeless after all._

---

Kishi: Wow. This turned out longer than I thought it would. And it kept me up _late_ too. I do hope this gets at least another review, but whatever. Life'll go on regardless. And I'll still keep pumping these out.

Oh, and I forgot this last time:

Avatar: The Last Air Bender is copyrighted to people who aren't me. I don't know who they are, otherwise, I'd give 'em credit.

The only things I own in this story are those things that I perceive as being original, and thusly are mine. If you recognize something that you came up with first, all credit goes to you.

I have no clue where you can contact me. I think the address is in my profile…


	4. Frigid

Kishi: Wah! A review! See below!

---

Kara-No

Chapter 4

Frigid

---

The arctic wind is notorious for cutting into flesh like a knife. It can cut through layer after layer of insulation with just a single opening, numb the mind, destroying the body with hypothermia.

It did not blow at Zuko. It did not blow at his ship. Even if it had, the prince had only to concentrate and heat the air around him, insulating himself against such natural cruelty.

He would have thought that Reiko, as lightly insulated as she was under her cloak, would have felt the cold even more so than he, yet she seemed completely at her ease, standing just out of his sight.

_So this is the North Pole_, he thought. It wasn't much, really. About as barren a waste as any he'd seen in his travels. The night was coming on early – _that's right, the day plays funny tricks so far north_ – and the starlight was casting a blue sheen over the snow and ice.

He turned to look back at the blockade. Zhao's second blockade had proven to be no problem whatsoever. The signal flags that alerted of disease had kept everyone well away, and now they were sailing closer and closer.

He refused to look at his servant, but he said, "It seems that you had a good idea after all."

"An idea is no good without the drive to do it," came her quiet reply. "You deserve as much credit as I."

He snarled. _Damn it all, there she goes _again! _She never takes any sort of credit for anything she does, always deferring back to me. It's not _natural! _Anyone else would be glowing with praise, but all she does is humble herself._

_She's up to something, I know she is. But what? What's she looking for? What can I possibly give her?_

"Is something the matter, lord?"

"Nothing. Only…." Well, he'd never been one to beat around the bush. "What exactly is it that you want, Reiko?"

He spun around to look at her, and noticed her surprised expression, her rapid blinking.

"What more should I want than to serve you?"

"Is that _all_ you can think about?" he snapped. He noticed, to her credit, she didn't flinch away. "Why do you keep on with all this fawning and modesty? Doesn't it wear on you? Don't you have any wants or needs of your own? _Don't you have a shred of humanity in you!_"

She stared at him for a slip of a moment before answering, "Yes."

Zuko's glare showed that he expected more, so she elaborated: "Your presence is somewhat… intimidating. I wanted to please you, to be worthy of the reward you bestowed on me, and I have done my best since then." She cocked her head at him. "Are you somehow dissatisfied with me?"

"No, it's just that your servitude isn't natural! Don't you have any wants? Any needs?"

"A servant does not burden her master with her personal concerns."

Such an answer would have satisfied any other noble in any other court, on any other ship, in any other place. But Zuko was too different. His years at sea at changed him from the arrogant, naïve prince he had been to a soldier – a cold, ruthless, obsessively driven soldier but a soldier nonetheless. And one of the things his transformation had revealed to him was that no matter how faceless they might seem to other nobles, these pawns were people as well.

And perhaps it just some vestigial naïveté, or some shred of decency from the Warrior's Code, but it just didn't seem _right_ for Reiko to have to place him so far above her.

Not that he cared for her specifically. It just wasn't fair.

"I think," he said, careful of his words, "that you could better serve me with your honesty than your servility."

She blinked, and this time she _did_ appear surprised. "How do you mean, my lord?"

"There's no need for you to be so selfless toward me," he said. "I'm looking for a servant, not a martyr to my name. Do you understand?"

She smiled then, a small thing, yet it lit her features brilliantly. "I do."

Zuko eyed her garments. "Are you not cold in something so simple?"

"No, lord, I am not."

"Reiko," he started, his voice containing a growling edge, but he was surprised when Reiko interrupted.

"I speak honestly," she said. "I am not cold. I assume I am welcome to warmer garments if necessary?"

A simple authorization to humanity and already she asserted her will. _That's better_. "If necessary," he said, and turned around – and his eyes narrowed. The bow of the ship ran into ice, but that was no concern to him – like ice could stop him – for his eyes were taking in a more disturbing sight.

Fire Navy ships jutted jaggedly out of the ice, pointing haphazardly as if the waves had been in upheaval. Some of the ships appeared whole, yet he could already see one ship with a broken bow, another with several punctures in the lower hull, and yet another tipping over to the side.

"What a terrible power, this Water Bending," murmured Reiko.

"In this place, the terrain is to their advantage," the prince remarked casually. "It happens all the time. But it's just like the saying goes – 'every candle has a wick.' Once we figure out their weak point, they're done for."

---

Sokka gave a low whistle as they flew overhead. "Wow. I didn't think the Fire Nation had gotten so far north."

"They probably would have saved this place for last," mused Shin. "Since the southern Tribes were gone, their generals must have gotten cocky. Wait until they have all the resources of the world secured before going to the one last place on earth where they'd suffer a disadvantage."

"Except that I came here," said Aang. "I changed the rules." He looked down, his expression sad. "Is this my fault? Is all the fighting because of me?"

"No, Aang," said Katara. "They would've come up here sooner or later anyway. You can't blame yourself for this."

The Avatar nodded sadly. _Still_, thought Katara, _I hate to admit it, but this does _not _look good._ They'd seen the empty tomb-like ships and had been encouraged – until they started seeing signs of battle. Red snow where it should have been white. Bodies lying, frigid and stiff. Some of them were garbed in the reds and blacks of Fire, but there also others garbed in the blues of Water.

The natural ebb and flow of the landscape was also interrupted by craters, melted indentations in the icescape. Some of the places looked like bowls burned deep into the ice, molten and frozen over and over again, as if the spirits were unable to make up their mind if it should be solid or not.

And then there was the City. Sokka and Katara stared particularly hard. They had never guessed that there _could_ be a city, with glorious icy arcs, tall glacial walls, hide tents, and the temple with its amethyst flying eaves, the fishing holes, the guard towers-

And the bodies lying everywhere outside the walls. All the carnage that they had witnessed coming seemed especially concentrated here, more dead and damage than anyplace else. Yet even as they watched, the very icescape itself seemed to be healing. The ice would open and swallow one body, then another, before refreezing back to itself and concealing all evidence. The walls themselves seemed to be healing, water melting and rushing up into craters and cracks and resealing, remolding the wall itself.

And then she saw them, her heart thumping harder in her chest. _Water Benders_. Men and women, old and young, walking and running about below, slowly and gracefully bending the water, sending it to flow or melt or break or form wherever they needed it.

"I'm sure we look suspicious," said Shin. "Perhaps we should go down there?"

Shin's pragmatism annoyed the Water Bending girl, but he did have a point. _If only I weren't so nervous about this_, she thought, gulping as they descended. Would the other Benders approve? Would she just be some scrawny orphan to be discarded without a second thought? Would they even let her in?

With a decisive swish of his tail, Appa settled into the snow. The group clambered out of the saddle to the quiet, barren, icy wastes. The two Tribesmen smiled. If only they could see their village beyond the next rise, it would feel just like home.

Still, this was close enough.

They noticed a young man busily repairing the wall. His hair wasn't shaven or otherwise distinctive, just a black bowl cut atop slanted, friendly features. He turned upon hearing their footsteps.

"Ah!" he exclaimed joyfully. "A brother and sister of the South! We had feared there were none left!"

"How can you tell we're from the South?" asked Sokka.

"Because I've never seen your traveling companions before," the Bender said thoughtfully, "and I've never seen them in our company before. But you're obviously from some Tribe, and if not here then where else?"

Something about the earnest abstractions in this young man's thinking made her giggle impulsively. But the young man seemed unfazed; he simply gave a toothy grin. "Forgive us for being so rude," she said. "I'm Katara, and this is Sokka, and Shin, and Aang," she said, pointing to each in turn.

"I'm Kagi," said the Bender. Then he took a closer look at Aang. "Those marks… you must be an Air Bender, yes?"

"That I am!" said Aang, his dreariness forgotten. He reached into his satchel and pulled the marble, playing the familiar game of spin the marble. Sokka rolled his eyes, but Kagi laughed delightedly.

"Excellent! The abbess has been expecting you for a month now! Go on in!" With that, he clapped his hands together, turned them sideways, and smoothly drew them apart. With an ominous crack, the wall split and began to slide open.

The group walked forward, ice misting in the wake of withdrawal. But the dying light cast two shadows. As the mist settled out, the shadows were more clearly defined to be two people – a tall man and a tiny old lady. The man stood rigid, his arms crossed, his rugged features cast in a scowl. He was dressed in the blue and black warrior's garb. His hair was black, cut very similarly to Sokka's, being just a tad longer in the back. His eyes were hard, icy, and the club hanging at his side said he meant business. The brown strap across his chest suggested a boomerang on his back.

The other there was an old lady, possibly as old as Gran-Gran. She was dressed in simple blue robes and leggings. Her gray hair was pulled back in a traditional braid, and her eyes were the traditional clear blues, her skin the traditional dark shade – yet she moved without the aid of a cane. Still, in stark contrast to the man next to her, she exuded an air of friendliness and grandmotherly warmth.

"You spoke to Kagi out there, didn't you?" she asked, a knowing twinkle in her eye.

"How'd you know?" asked Aang excitedly. "Are you the Abbess of the Water Temple?"

"Why, as a matter of fact—"

"Her name is Kaede," interrupted the man next to her. "And I'm called Muku. That's all you need to know."

"But I need to see the Abbess!" exclaimed the boy.

"How come?" sneered the warrior. "For all we know, you're a spy. Why shouldn't I kill the lot of you where you're standing?"

"Because I'm the Avatar!"

_That_ made the man pause, look a little less certain. "Prove it then."

"Yes, we would like that very much," Kaede said. "Let's see… at this point, the cycle starts with Air, so some Air Bending would be sufficient."

"Sure thing!" Aang chirped. He leapt, formed the air ball beneath him, and set himself to riding around in a circle for a full minute. He bounced off of the wall, houses, the ice, only stopping when he slammed into an ice sculpture.

The others jogged over to him, sitting up none the worse for wear.

"See, Muku?" snorted Kaede. "I told you he was the Avatar."

"Forgive me, Abbess," said the man, although he didn't seem sincere. "But with the recent attacks from the Fire Nation, I thought…"

"It's all right," she said, a sage-like smile playing across her features.

"So _you're_ the Abbess," said Aang.

"Yes, Avatar Aang, I am the Abbess of the Northern Water Temple, Kaede."

"It's good to finally meet you! But Kagi said you already knew I was coming."

"Yes. The Temple lit with a great light, as a beacon, about a month ago. Our shrines to the Avatars of the Water lineage were all glowing in the aftermath, and we figured you would be coming."

Aang's face saddened. "Yeah."

"It seems painful to recall," said the Abbess in a grandmotherly sort of tone. "But let's not dwell on that! You have much to learn and only a short time to learn it, with the Fire Nation here and all, so let us go to the Temple. I'm sure you must be tired from your journey." With that, she turned and started toward the Temple, as if an entourage of warriors, benders, a hermit, a lemur, and a flying bison were the most natural thing in the world.

---

"So what did you see, nephew?"

"It seems there was some sort of fight out here. I don't think Zhao did too well."

"Indeed. Zhao, in his haste, probably underestimated the resistance of the Water Tribes here in the north. They're a much more organized group than the south."

"I see." Zuko slid his coat off, grateful for the warmth here in the recesses of the ship. Both he and his uncle, as well as Reiko, were sitting together in his room, nursing warm cups of tea.

"So what is your next move?"

"I don't want to stay here too long," said Zuko. "We're sitting right in the middle of enemy territory – and the water can be used against us very easily. We grow more and more vulnerable the longer we're here. We need to capture the Avatar, fast."

"How do you propose to do that?"

"We already have a good idea of where the Temple is, but we don't have the power to just storm the place. We should just wait for Zhao to aim for the place again, infiltrate, kidnap the Avatar and get out of here."

"A fine plan," said Airoh. "But there are problems, namely that your crew is on the verge of death from the plague, remember?"

Zuko frowned. "No they aren't."

"Really? But that's what our flags say, so I assumed."

Zuko growled, but he got the point. The flags had worked in getting them past the blockade – but as long as they were here, they had to act as if it were true. And soldiers under the Plague did not appear in the middle of battles. Then again, though, at least it provided an excuse to stay out of that damnable cold.

"You've also misunderstood the temperament of these people," said his uncle. "They don't focus on striking an enemy at first opportunity as we do. These are a gentler people, and for the most part they're content to let us be if we let them be."

"Even with the certainty of our attack?" Zuko snorted. "How _weak_."

"Or cunning. They could be thinking like the wave – gathering force over time before breaking upon the shore."

"Perhaps. If that is the case, we should put some sort of spy out there to monitor them, get a good idea of their defenses."

"And do you have a plan for that?"

"I have… something in mind," said Zuko evasively. "I'll explain it later."

"Good," said Airoh, clapping his hands together enthusiastically. "Now, I have a proposal of my own."

"Oh?"

"Yes. I was thinking, since the men would be so bored while we're here, that we should have Music Night more than once a month…"

---

"Aah! Hey, watch it! That's COLD, you know!"

There was no apology. Sokka sighed. "I can't believe it," he said to Shin. "We fly all this way to the North Pole, going through danger after danger, facing down the Fire Nation and pirates and cabbages and kings, and what do they do? They splash water on me!"

"Yes, that's basically the gist of Water Bending, Sokka." Shin spoke slowly, as if explaining to a small child.

"And yet it's so much more!" sang Kaede. She made a gentle, open handed upper cutting motion, and two jets of water burst through the ice, hosing the two boys standing off to the side.

"AAGH! Again?"

"Sokka, maybe silence is a higher virtue here."

They were standing in a part of the Temple below the main entrance. The rooms in this part were all snow and ice – a perfect training ground for Water Bending. When Aang had informed the Abbess of Roku's warning, they had entered these rooms straightaway, with Kaede saying that time was of the essence. "We don't have the time to properly train you in the arts of Water Bending," she had said. "It is a shame, but we have no choice. Instead, let us see what you know already based on your combat experience."

"I'll take you on first, then," said Katara.

"No, I meant the both of you at once."

Katara had given Aang a dubious look. "Um, Abbess—"

"Please call me Kaede."

"All right then, Kaede, but still… I mean, two on one?"

Kaede had smiled. "Don't worry, Katara. Don't let my age fool you!"

That had been approximately 30 minutes ago. Aang and Katara stood, though barely, panting with the efforts of their exertions. Kaede, however, stood at her ease, looking for all the world as mild as any other old lady in the North Pole.

"Is that all?" she asked.

Katara shook her head, and flowed through a stance, allowing the water whip to flow into being. She held it poised between her hands, waiting…

Until Aang copied Kaede's earlier gesture. A jet of water burst from the ice in front of her. Kaede calmly stepped to the side, moving her hands parallel to the stream and gently guiding it in its intended direction. It was precisely that moment when Katara snapped the Water Whip at the Abbess' head, the Abbess calmly stepped towards her own stream and circled the water back, shielding and absorbing the Water Whip.

In an attempt to interrupt her, Katara began to shape and fling water as fast and as hard as she could.

"No! Katara, wait, that's-" but Aang's warning fell on deaf ears. The water that Kaede was Bending absorbed Katara's efforts, growing in mass. By the time Katara realized her error, it was too late. A huge ball of water that stretched all nine feet from the floor to the ceiling had formed.

Katara saw Kaede do something – some sort of stepping pushing motion – before feeling the force and fury of the wave. She could've sworn she heard Sokka scream something incoherent – "Oh no, not again!" – before being pushed away, knocked back six or seven feet.

She pushed herself groggily to her feet, head spinning and ears ringing. Aang didn't seem to be in any better shape.

Katara began to wave her arms, a vain fumble to bring water forth, but Kaede shook her head. "That's enough, you two," she said. "I understand where you're all at now."

"You can learn that much just from fighting us?" asked Katara.

"Yes," replied the Abbess. "One is only required to pay attention. By watching Aang, for instance, I was able to determine that he has a fine, intuitive grasp for the _meaning_ of Water Bending, and he can deduce technique easily enough. _You_, on the other hand, have a fine grasp of technique, but you lack an understanding of the art."

"I don't understand."

"Precisely," grinned Kaede. There was a sneeze, and Katara turned to see Shin with a sheepish look on his face. "Ah, of course." Suddenly, all the water sprang out of their clothes and flowed off, into Kaede's hands. She froze the ball, then clapped, shattering it into thousands of tiny white motes that settled in a powder on the floor.

"I hope I'm not interrupting?" came a low, husky voice.

"Not at all, Yuki," said Kaede. Katara turned to the new voice and stared. Standing there, lounging against the entrance, was a girl – and clearly, adolescence was almost through with her. She was just a little bit shorter than Katara, with short brown hair and brown eyes. An easy smile played across her lips, and her arms were crossed beneath a well-endowed chest. And yet, even with that easy expression on her face, Katara had the feeling that this girl Yuki could leap-to in the space of a breath.

Muku stood across, his arms crossed and expression dour. "We're here to make our reports of the city defenses."

"Ah, yes. And we never did introduce you to Yuki, did we? Please say hello, dear."

Yuki's smile was full of irony as she bowed. "Fair evening, brother and sister of the South! I am Yuki, brother of Kousetsu, and leader of the Tribe in times of war."

"Kousetsu?" gasped Sokka. "We've heard of him! Father was always talking about his abilities as a warrior."

"That's right," beamed Yuki. "And he taught me everything he knew." She gave Sokka a considering look. "You know," she said softly, "maybe there are some things I could teach _you_…"

Sokka blushed furiously and began to mumble something. Katara sighed in exasperation, but then noticed that Shin and even Aang carried a faint pink tinge. _Men!_ she groaned.

"Perhaps that should be my job," said Muku. "The boy seems somewhat… intimidated by you."

Yuki shrugged. "Suits me fine." Katara suddenly decided that she did not like this girl – too shallow, mind only in one place, a place Katara was loathe to go.

"As for your report?" the Abbess intoned patiently.

"The Fire Navy believed that they could get near us with their ships to batter us with artillery fire," said Yuki, her voice becoming harder, professional. "But the Water Benders you trained worked like a charm, freezing their boats in place. They gave us some trouble when their infantry and ours met on the field, and their Benders definitely managed to make things dicey for us, but we put them out soon enough."

"Where is the enemy now?"

"They've fallen back to their ships beyond the ice and are holding a blockade. We can't go out there to fish or hunt seal, but I'm certain we'll break them somehow."

"Oh? And where does your confidence come from?"

"Oh it's very simple," said Yuki nonchalantly. "They die the same as anybody else, and they're fighting on our home land. I'll personally see to it that they lose their will to fight." Yuki's hands had clenched, despite the even tone and calm voice, and Katara couldn't help but notice that , besides the fingers, her hands were wrapped in white bandage. As she looked closer, she could see that Yuki was almost completely wrapped in bandages. Only her fingers and neck and head were spared and despite her growing dislike, Katara couldn't help but be curious. _Leprosy?_

Kaede paused, then turned to Muku. "What is your assessment of the situation?"

"We're outmanned and outmatched," replied the warrior, as calmly as if he were stating the weather. "The fleet is being headed by Admiral Zhao, with twenty ships of the line under his personal command, each carrying a detachment of 200 soldiers and 50 Fire Benders. In addition, there are 5 more ships of the line under the command of Commander Jie. We're not sure how many we killed today, but estimates are about 600 dead, 219 wounded out of a force of 1000."

"And as for us?"

"350 dead, 79 wounded, 74 missing, out of a mixed garrison of 1723 warriors and 277 Water Benders."

"2000 vs. 6000," mused Shin. Everyone looked at the normally silent youth, having totally forgotten about him. "Poor odds. Even with as good as you're giving him, Zhao's probably going to starve you and overwhelm with weight of numbers."

"Obviously," said Muku.

"Have messengers been sent to the other Tribes?"

"We saw to it," said Yuki. "They were dispatched once the fighting was done with. We requested food, supplies, and reinforcements. If they hold to the Peacetime agreements, we should see support from them within the next week."

The Abbess nodded approvingly. "Good. We'll take these problems one step at a time. But in the meantime," she said smiling, "we should get you young ones settled in. I imagine you're rather tired after your journey here."

"That would be great!" said Aang happily. Momo chirped his approval from Shin's shoulder, where the lemur too had been forgotten.

"Don't take too much joy," cautioned Muku. "We don't have much time. We're gonna have to whip you into shape, so we start early and end late. No telling when the Fire Navy's going to come knocking at the wall."

---

Kishi: Now, I've told you guys that I don't need reviews to keep on writing, and if any of you are checking in for a second time, you know it's true. But doggonit, I still love gettin' 'em! And just to prove it:

Omake no Toki! Reiko wa Meari-Suu desu ka?

(Time for Extras! Is Reiko a Mary Sue?)

_ZUKO: "Is that _all_ you can think about?"_

_:Reiko is unflinching:_

_ZUKO: "Why do you keep on with all this fawning and modesty? Doesn't it wear on you? Don't you have any wants or needs of your own? _Don't you have a shred of humanity in you!_"_

_REIKO: "No, my lord, I do not."_

_ZUKO: "And furthermore… what?"_

_:REIKO gives an uncanny grin. Offstage, the director looks at the scriptwriter. The writer mouths "This isn't in the script!":_

_REIKO: "Oh, my Lord, I had thought it would be so obvious to you by now."_

_:ZUKO shakes his head, frowning:_

_ZUKO: "What do you mean?"_

_REIKO: "Oh surely you do realize, don't you? The slavish devotion? The aura of mystery? My ability to stand your temper tantrums with a quiet grin?"_

_:ZUKO stares a second longer before a horrified expression:_

_ZUKO: "No… it can't be! That's IMPOSSIBLE!"_

_REIKO: "Search your feelings. You cannot hide from it. You know that I'm a Mary-Sue!"_

_:REIKO begins a slow predatory march towards ZUKO, who backs away:_

_ZUKO: "NO! Stay back!"_

_REIKO: "And when the next chapter rolls out, I will both sing AND dance with unparalleled skill and beauty!"_

_ZUKO: "NO!"_

_REIKO: "And you'll be drunk as a skunk, easily taken advantage of!"_

_ZUKO: "NO!"_

_REIKO: "And any attempt to get rid of me will only make me want you more!"_

_ZUKO: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!"_

_:ZUKO proceeds to jump ship into the arctic water. The director peers at Reiko, who's wearing a cryptic smile:_

_DIRECTOR: "Are you done having fun yet?"_

_REIKO: "No, not yet."_

_:suddenly, an outraged voice yells:_

_ZUKO: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH! IT'S COOOOOOOLD!"_

_REIKO: "Now I'm done."_

_:everyone breaks out laughing as divers rush after ZUKO:_

Kishi: Now, some of you recognize this text as being present last time, too. And you're thinking, 'Yeah, Kishi. Real good way to show appreciation. What a jerk.' But I did away with all the nasty, self-righteous text, didn't I?

:Kishi scratches the back of his head and shrugs:

Kishi: I guess what it amounts to is this: I don't need reviews to keep on working. I love my story enough to see it through to the end. And it's not like you guys have to review at all... but if you do, it really inspires me to work harder for you guys out there. And heck, iff'n y'all liked this here omake, I could do more for you guys... but whatever.

:the author gives a low, sweeping bow:

Kishi: Regardless of what you do, thank you for reading!

Avatar: The Last Air Bender is copyrighted to people who aren't me. I don't know who they are, otherwise, I'd give 'em credit.

The only things I own in this story are those things that I perceive as being original, and thusly are mine. If you recognize something that you came up with first, all credit goes to you.

I have no clue where you can contact me. I think the address is in my profile…


	5. Be Like Water

Kishi: More reviews! Waaai!

---

Kara-No

Chapter 5

Be Like Water

---

There was no sun in the morning this far north, so one had to know the stars like family to know the time. But the Five Sisters stood in the south, watching Raven flee to the west as far as he could before the sun would be chasing him. 'Dawn' had come.

It had taken three weeks to adapt his inner clock to the schedule of the Temple, but Aang had finally perfected it. He awoke easily and flew out of the sleeping bag, doing push-ups to warm up and wake up. It had been a month since their arrival, but training in the Temple had not left him unaffected. Every move he made now was infused with some sort of natural fluidity, and he could feel his qi reacting more easily with the environment. The water that was out there felt just as 'real' to him as the air had felt for all those years.

The room he had lived in was solitary, and austere. The Temple had been built with stone and wood, very rare commodities this far north. His sleeping area - a sleeping bag insulated with snow - lay near the plain, shuttered windows. A small mat sat along the left wall, and a bucket lay beneath a spigot on the right. The walls were a plain brown, nearly unadorned save for a scroll hung opposite of the mat. Aang didn't need to see it to know what it said - _Be like water_.

Hopping up from the ground, after having done push-ups, sit-ups, and a stint in Horse Stance, he raced over to the spigot. He gestured, pulling the water through the icy cistern that opened beneath the ice and guided it into the bucket. Then, stripping himself bare, he proceeded to take the entire bucketful and dump it over himself.

"IT'S COLD!" he shouted in shock, laughing all the same. He circled his arms up and around, before steepling them above his head and drawing them down. All the water flowed off of his skin, pooling at his feet where he swept it up and back through the cistern.

He pulled his clothes back on and ran out the door. The halls outside were cold as well, but after the month up north it wasn't anything unbearable. He just ran and pumped his arms faster, forcing blood to the extremities.

The smell of cooking meat drew him to the eating room of the Temple.

"Aang! Oi!" The Avatar looked and found a group of four Benders sitting at one of the long tables. His breakfast - hot porridge and some fruit - lay waiting for him on the tray. As he sat down and began to dig into his breakfast, he couldn't help but be amazed at the work put into farming they did up here in the north. In the city there existed small domes of ice, tended by two Benders always. The domes were filled with soil and plants, and the Benders were always in a state of meditation, keeping the water flowing through these gardens. Of course, the warm water would melt the dome at least - which was why the water constantly circulated between the plants, the dome, and the very ice beneath. And they could grow so many types of crop, from beans to corn to fruit trees, provided they had seed and dirt.

But with the war on the city's doorstep, more and more Benders had to be taken off of their duties as farmers to protect the city. Only novice Benders were left to take over their duties, but the poor novices just couldn't maintain the domes at the same size or with the same focus.

The farms were disappearing, slowly yet surely. Food was dwindling. Aang's breakfast would have had a healthy dose of rice and mixed vegetables, but the times were growing leaner.

The Avatar smiled, looking at the other four Benders. Inari, to his left, had all the cunning and cheek of his namesake; with his roguish smile and charm, most people mistook him for a vagabond rather than a monk. Then there was Nezumi, to his right, a shy and timid girl who only let herself loose when she was Bending a flow of water. Tora and Neko rounded out this group and were oddly named - the former was the smaller, the latter the taller of the brother and sister. Tora usually wore an intense look, as if daring the world to point out his height, while Neko's eyes were often lazily lidded with a sleepy smile upon her face.

This group of Benders was different than any other group in the North - they were the top students of the Temple, the highest ranked and the most skilled in the Art of Water Bending. Aang had long ago outstripped anything the Temple could offer in terms of sheer knowledge. The Abbess had therefore decided that it made more sense for Aang to train with other students, the most advanced there were - fighting every single day in the room for hours at a time, making the water a part of himself.

"So, Aang," Inari said with a slow drawl, "We're going to have ourselves yet another scuffle, looks like."

"Oh, you know it!" grinned Aang.

"And we aren't going to have a repeat of yesterday!" Tora crowed. "You're goin' down!"

"Chill out, man," murmured Neko. "Flow with it. You can't force Water, or else it'll escape you."

"I _know_ that," snapped Tora.

"Uhm… uh…" Nezumi seemed ready to stammer out something, but she'd started blushing horribly.

Aang saved her the trouble, though. "I know. You're not going to make it easy for me, are you?"

Nezumi's features blossomed to a smile, and she nodded gratefully.

A set of familiar features flashed by the corner of his eye. Aang turned and saw Katara talking with other students of the Temple. As if she could feel it, she turned at met his gaze. They smiled at each other. Katara herself had changed as well, as graceful and smooth in her movements as any other. But more than that, she had calmed, reacting more easily and less angrily.

But he hadn't spoken to her as much as he used to. The Abbess had kept them training all day every day, and they didn't room anywhere near each other. It frustrated him to no end, but what else could he do? What else could _she_ do? Duty was the wall between them.

---

The clacking of bone on bone sounded in the cold morning air. One spear would rush forward, point seeking the warm body on the opposite side. The shaft would move, deflecting the rushing point, before bringing its own point down and rushing back in counter.

The point of these exercises was simple: if the body was forced to repeat a reaction to a certain action, then the reaction would become ingrained in the muscles of the body, so that a soldier wouldn't have to think when the time came to act. The speed of thought was simply too slow for a real fight.

_Which probably explains why Shin is doing so terribly_, thought Sokka as he and his partner reset themselves. After being trounced by him in the mountains, Sokka had thought that the young man was probably some sort of hidden warrior of the mountains, learning all sorts of dangerous ways to kill a man in a single blow, or something like that. In contrast, Shin was one of the slowest, least coordinated, least talented fighters Sokka had ever seen. He never aimed the spear right, never blocked properly, always had a hard time keeping his stance low, always over thought it and overanalyzed.

Sokka bit back a sigh of disappointment. He'd hoped to learn something from the man, but it looked like he'd be having to spend some of his precious break time to try and reteach some of the stuff to him.

_But why shouldn't I be disappointed?_ he wondered. _Back in the cave, that night… he sounded like he truly wanted to make a difference._ What had he said? _"I'm sure that, if I travel with you, I'll be able to make a difference."_ But how was he planning to make a difference if he couldn't fight?

A portion of his mind outside the sphere of concentration reminded him that Shin could talk his way into anything pretty easily, if he was of a mind to. But it was dismissed fairly easily. All of the nations had tried to talk to the Fire Nation, had tried to soothe the flames of war, but that had done no good whatsoever. Surely Shin wasn't naïve enough to think _that_ would work? Fire Nation armies were a far cry from bathhouse managers, after all.

_Maybe he's an inventor_, his mind continued. But that couldn't be it either. Sure, he'd had that chimney in the cave, but no tools. It was either natural or he'd Bent it out of there with Earth Bending. It wasn't as if he carried all sorts of sketches or anything either. Sure, he could talk fancy, and he sure _seemed_ like he could get weird ideas, but he didn't act like he was thinking about anything most of the time.

All he ever seemed to do, really, was sit in the background and stare off into space. He'd help when he could, but that never really amounted to much aside from fishing and cooking and cleanup.

The man, in short, was almost completely useless. In fact, Sokka suspected that the only reason Muku permitted Shin to keep training was that he was looking for a body to take a blow for a more talented soldier.

_How sad_, thought Sokka. _All that drive and absolutely no way to go. But one thing's for sure - Shin shouldn't be here._

"That's enough!" Muku bellowed. "Put the spears up! Next we move on to clubs!"

The soldiers all rushed to comply, stacking the spears near the entrance to the barracks and grabbing clubs, running back to reform the training lines. They immediately began to run through striking drills, striking at twelve different points on the body. The key here was usually focus, so as to be able to fine tune their control. It was often comical to watch the people who weren't paying attention, whacking each other without any real concept of their actions.

_Head… head…_ Sokka began to intone them in his mind. _Shoulder… shoulder… stomach… chest… chest… Yuki… wha!_ Yuki had chosen that specific moment to pause and take note of the troops. But even though she wasn't even looking at him, Sokka couldn't help but stare at her. There was just something about the way she moved, something that drew his eyes to her and he couldn't look away--

The club smashed into his knee. "Ah, dammit!" Sokka collapsed to the ground, holding his knee. Had his opponent _really_ needed to hit him that hard?

"That's what you get for letting your mind wander," said Muku, his voice carefully guarded. Sokka, however, could see the man was amused.

---

"Another busy night?"

Zuko stifled a yawn. "Yes, Uncle," he said. He coolly tossed a blue-and-white oni mask onto his bed and began to roll his shoulders.

"Nephew, this is not a healthy pattern of behavior," Airoh admonished. "The men need you to be a leader, and leading from the bed is poor form."

"It's not as if there's any leading to be done, Uncle," the Prince retorted mildly. Heavens, but he was _tired_. "We're so busy keeping up this whole 'plague' charade that we don't even leave the ship. What is there to do? I have the men training, working the ship, performing maintenance at regular intervals. I even gave in to your suggestion of multiple Music Nights. What more can I do?"

"It was a good move to keep the men occupied, nephew," Airoh said, gently. "I'm more worried for _you_."

"Wrong idea," said Zuko. "I can do what I planned to do. I never plan beyond my capabilities."

"But still, scouting out there all night? Is it really necessary, nephew?"

"As long as I get my hands on the Avatar, I'll do anything," said Zuko, his voice low and hard. His plan had been fairly simple - travel out into the icescape in the night and move about, scouting the walls for a way to sneak in and infiltrate. Every night he'd taken to a specific section of wall, sitting very still and observing, recording every single nuance he could possibly place. Of course, if the scar on his face were seen, it'd be pretty obvious who he was, and he couldn't chance word reaching Zhao.

Hence the masquerade. Zuko became 'The Blue Spirit,' a mysterious trickster who appeared outside of the city walls and disappeared into the star-studded blue of night.

"What more can you do, though, nephew?" Airoh asked. "What have you discovered about that wall that you don't already know?"

"It's made of ice," Zuko said dully. "Thick. Normal catapult rounds wouldn't pierce something like that. Flaming rounds might, but given the distance, they'd see it pretty easily and get to Water Bending. A direct assault on the city leads to problems because of the terrain. Even if that weren't a problem, Zhao's still a variable."

"I see." Airoh paused to think. "What about those people who keep traveling into the city?"

"Reinforcements."

"And why couldn't we sneak in, in place of their reinforcements?"

"Because all the Water Nation has either brown or blue eyes, and dark skin. We only cover the brown eyes part."

"But what if they didn't even see any part of us?"

"What exactly are you playing at?" Zuko's eyes were red with lack of sleep. Then they narrowed in comprehension. "Are you telling me we should get our soldiers and dress up in masks?"

"It's the easiest way, Prince Zuko," said Airoh. "Any other attempt at getting in presents great difficulty. But they'll let friends in more easily than anything else. Why not use that to our advantage?"

"It's brilliant," remarked Zuko. He stood up, his posture wavering as he fought for consciousness, and he began to walk to the door. "I'll get right on it. We'll assemble the men and inform them of the plan…"

The door opened and Reiko stepped in.

"Reiko?" Zuko's voice was fuzzy.

"I thought my Lord could use some tea to keep his senses sharp," she said. But, even in his tired state, he noted the difference - where, before, she was kneeling with eyes to the floor, she now stood, looking at him straight-on.

How… refreshing…

"Is it Green?"

"Yes, my Lord."

Zuko nodded in satisfaction and took the offered cup, downing it in a single swallow. It didn't even occur to him that it didn't taste like Green Tea at all until his vision went dark.

---

Zhao stared at the maps laid across his table, his eyes drifting across information without really taking it in.

"It's proving to be a hard attack," said Commander Jie. The commander was relatively young - being in his early forties - but he'd proven to be as able a tactician as any that Zhao could have asked for.

"It's to be expected," replied the Admiral. "Everything here is to the enemy's advantage. The very surface we stand on rejects us."

"Yes. Furthermore, we've managed to confirm an almost regular influx of warriors into the city."

"How many?"

"Perhaps a hundred a day or so."

"How can those tribes have so many warriors to spare?" growled Zhao. "Our intelligence indicated that they fought each other regularly enough that their population should be limited."

"Perhaps the city has some sort of sacredness to the Tribes?"

"Perhaps. Who can tell with these barbarians?"

The rest of his staff was there as well, all sitting around the map. These meetings had become commonplace, ever since that first disastrous assault. Commander Jie, in initiating that assault, had gravely underestimated the strength and resolve of these barbarians. They had fought back with a savagery that, by all accounts, should not have been there.

Still, Zhao reflected, having all those dead meant that there were plenty of supplies to go around, which had proven invaluable over the past month. A Seaman floats on his stomach, or so said the saying.

"What we need," said the thoughtful voice of a Commandant on Zhao's left, "is artillery support."

"I'm not sure that's viable," said Jie. "The Tribes made sure to isolate themselves behind a mile of ice. We _might_ be able to shoot that far, but we'd be hitting the walls at best."

"We could break that pretty easily," murmured a Captain thoughtfully.

"Yes, but not before they could refreeze us where we stand."

"Would that really be so bad?" argued the Captain. "That gives us a bunch of outposts right nearby. We'd definitely be able to hit within the city from there."

"They won't stop with freezing us," Jie countered. "There were several Captains who thought the same thing, but once their ships were frozen, the ships were either gutted, forced into a capsize, or broken open. These Water Tribes are no fools. They _will_ not suffer us lightly."

"But each one was attacking one at a time, without any real concentration," said the Commandant. "We have a total of 25 ships, roughly 5,000 men in reserve. A concentrated attack on the city, with proper planning and coordination, would break these fools once and for all."

"True, but at what cost?"

The rest of the men turned to look at him as Zhao elaborated. "Make no mistake," he said. "I don't care if women are children are present where I fight. I fight to win. But if we take the fight to them directly, we will win, but we'll lose more soldiers than I care to think about. Battles should be won with a certain… efficiency."

"What do you have in mind?" asked the Commandant. Jie's brow was furled.

"You, perchance, wouldn't mean using…"

"That's right, Commander," said Zhao. "We'll use the experimental rounds on the city."

"How?"

"The Captain said so himself - those ships that are stuck in the ice represent the perfect outposts - fortified positions that are definitely within firing range. But this time, there will be no Water Benders to rip the ships apart, and when they finally _do_ comprehend the horror it will be too late."

"Admiral," said Jie, "I don't know if that's a good idea. There are civilians in there."

"I'm trying to fight the enemy army!" Zhao smirked. "They just so happen to be in the city, along with the civilians. It's their fault for hiding behind women and children. Let the deaths hang on their heads." He turned to the Commandant. "Can your engineers fix and rig those catapults?"

"Possible," said the Commandant, his eyes taking a distant, considering look. "The real factor to consider is the position of the ship's deck. If it's slanted too far one way or the other, we won't be able to get a proper balance for the firing mechanism."

"We'll simply work out a way when the time comes," said Zhao. "I believe our business is concluded, gentlemen. We attack tomorrow night!"

The generals stood up from the floor, stretching and talking. Even though they had made the decision to condemn thousands of innocents to death, they spoke and moved as casually as if they were discussing some article of business.

_I'll have to get Jie replaced_, Zhao thought. _I have no use for weak people in my fleet._

---

They were sitting in _that_ room again. It had seemed so strange and exotic to have a cube carved out of snow and ice, yet over the past month Katara had grown used to it. It was here that she and Aang had begun their Water Bending training in earnest, under the personal wach of the Abbess. It was here that Aang had surpassed her in the space of days and had been banished to another room full of Bending adepts who spent every day pushing and testing the limits of the boy's power. It was here that she would spend hours and hours and _hours_ every day, practicing and meditating, trying more and more to _be_ like water.

And now, a month later, here she was, washed clean. Her body was lithe, graceful. The slow, flowing movements had proven to be harder work than she had imagined, but she had pushed through becoming subtly stronger with every day.

Not to mention that some of her softer areas had disappeared whenever she looked in a mirror. _That_ alone had been incentive to continue. But even that paled in comparison to the mental benefits - a calming, a soothing to the fevered frenzy of her mind. Worry and fear and stress were all still there - but they were simple obstacles, and she could flow around them as though they were nothing.

They were sitting in _that_ room again, both she and the Abbess. Both breathed evenly, in and out, eyes closed. In front of each of them sat a basin of water, and with each breath the water would rise and fall, rise and fall.

The exercise had gone on for some time when Kaede finally broke the silence. "You've learned much in your time here."

"I have."

"Do you understand what it _means_ to be a Water Bender now?"

"Yes."

"Explain."

"I thought that, in the beginning, Water Bending was controlling water," said Katara. "It was collecting water into a wave of some sort and sending it at a foe. Water was something to be controlled."

"But that's not what it is at all, is it child?"

"Yes. It's hard to describe…" Katara's face grew distant. "I wanted to make waves, but I was starting with the crest. Everyone sees it. Everyone thinks that's where the power comes from, but that's not it at all. It's the _flow_ of water that gives it power, and that's as gentle as anything. It isn't until it hits an obstacle, that it unleashes power. It's always a reaction."

"That's right," beamed Kaede. "Water is the weakest of all the elements because it flows. Then it meets an obstacle - which is subsequently overwhelmed. It meets a cup - and adapts to fill it completely. It meets a wall it cannot break - until it finds the crack and rushes through. To be the very epitome of strength in weakness - that is what it means to be a Water Bender. Do you understand the truth in this?"

"No," Katara answered truthfully.

"Correct," said Kaede, "for who can understand truth anyway? You must be still to know its flow. Show me the flow of the truth."

Immediately Katara picked up the basin and flung the water at the Abbess - only it was so many particles and pieces of ice. The Abbess rolled aside and stood - to find the ice rushing back in liquid form. She stepped aside and calmly gestured it aside, directly at the girl - who merely sidestepped, letting the water splash harmlessly by.

Kaede took a breath, then exhaled, bringing her arms up in time with the breath. Twin streams of water erupted from the ice. As Katara watched, the Abbess began to move her arms in a sequence known as 'Rolling the Ball' - causing the waves to contort into all sorts of rolling erratic patterns. Katara knew the defense seemed random - but there wasn't a single aspect of it outside of Kaede's control.

The streams continued to flow in their determined random streams before suddenly rocketing forward with a push from Kaede. Focusing her own breathing, Katara shifted her stance back and down, stretching out her hands in either direction, _pulling_ the water for all she was worth. It raced toward her, aided by her pulling it, until she gently suggested it go to the left. The torrent raged past her and she pushed off from the ground, spinning in the air and drawing the water into separate streams again. She began to shift and dance her arms, as if a ball rolled and flowed along the tops of them, and the water followed her lead.

She grinned, feeling a surge of triumph. _Let's see Kaede stop me now!_

She took one last look at the Abbess, imagining the triumph of soaking her through, when Kaede simply smiled and gently flung her arms wide.

_What good could something like _that_ do?_ Katara thought. _She isn't gathering any water, and I don't feel her pulling from m-_

Then the snow and ice beneath her feet disappeared, allowing the hapless girl the pleasure of a dip in the cool waters of the arctic. That would have been shame enough, but Katara had rotten enough timing to break the surface again when her own water came crashing back down on her.

Spluttering, she shot her hand down and shot out of the water. Landing on her feet, she had the grace to look indignant at what had happened, but the gentle laughter of Kaede killed all hostility. There was nothing scornful in her teacher, nothing that said she had been weak, that she had even failed at all. There was only the joy of the moment.

Katara began to smile, then burst out laughing at the thought of herself, drenched to the bone and looking like a washed out rat. She flowed her hands and expelled the water from her clothes and hair.

"I didn't even think of it," Katara said after she was finished laughing.

"No wall is without its cracks, Katara," replied Kaede. "If the enemy is strong one way, then he is weak another. Simply find it, and he will collapse."

Katara nodded and bowed. "I am grateful for this lesson."

"I am grateful to teach," replied Kaede, but then she sighed. "I'm just sorry that we must part so soon. There is so much left to teach you and you work so hard…"

"I'll be back," said Katara.

"I do not doubt that." The Abbess smiled again. "And when you return, you will see scrolls to put the one you gave us to shame. But for now, go and meditate. See your friends and your brother. It's been so long since you have all been together, hasn't it dear?"

---

_We've been going on like this for a month. They advance, fight, pull back. Advance, fight, pull back. They've never committed a full force to attack us, but at the rate we're going, we'll run down before they do._

Yuki lay atop her sleeping bag, inside her small tent near the barracks. Most of the soldiers assumed that private quarters afforded all sorts of private luxuries that they could only dream of. She often teased them about all the things they were missing (herself being at the top of the list, of course), but the fact was that it wasn't really all that luxurious a setting. It was a small space with hide walls, a fire pit for melting snow to water for drinking or washing, and the sleeping bag. Still, it beat hard bunks and ice every which way.

Her mind continued drifting back over the past month. She had been right in sending messengers out to the other Tribes, and the groups of soldiers trudging through every day only helped bolster the spirit of the men. The supplies - often carried on sledges propelled by the Water Benders - were no less significant.

But it still wasn't enough. Even with the added men and supplies, the Fire Nation was still grinding them down. Even with all the surprises and ambushes she could devise - hiding soldiers beneath the snow had been a particularly genius idea - the enemy just kept _coming_.

_So they won't stop, eh?_ Yuki allowed herself a bitter smile. _Well, that's fine. I won't stop either._

There was a tapping outside. "Come in," called Yuki. She sat up just as Muku stepped inside. To the men he looked as cold and commanding as he always was, but Yuki could see the signs - the dishevelment of his clothes, the subtle stretches he managed to work in to every gesture. Between training the recruits and fighting, there was little time left for sleep.

No denying it - they were _all_ tired. Between planning defenses and leading ambushes, she knew she was exhausted as well.

"So what's up?"

"We've recently tabulated our inventory of men and material," said Muku, pulling a sealskin parchment from his belt. Yuki took it and scanned it over a few times before sighing.

"It's getting worse," said Muku.

"It is. Why haven't the other Tribes sent more support?"

"Some sent literally every warrior and Bender they could get their hands on to get here," Muku replied, shifting his arms to stretch. "Some sent only what they could spare - but those were mostly the Tribes here who fear the Fire Nation will attack them next. Still, that's not what's killing us off."

"Oh really? And what do you think it is?"

"You."

Yuki raced an icy eyebrow. "You care to repeat that?"

"However many times I have to," Muku replied.

"And why do you say that?"

"Because of your ambushes. Your constant need to commit troops outside the wall makes it easier for them to pick us off one by one. We can't fight them head-on, but your ambushes keep on turning into those sorts of fights because the Fire Nation's armies are too disciplined to be so easily frightened."

"Those ambushes are the reason that we've inflicted so many casualties on the armies they send to us."

"Those ambushes are also the reason that we've lost so many men and women to them."

Yuki's face bore a stormy expression, her hands clenching into fists over and over.

"Yuki," Muku said softly, "I understand that we all lost a lot when we fought them last time. I took all my sons to fight them in the first attack of Be Cing Xe, and I alone came back. I know your own losses hurt deep, deep inside, but you can't let them control you like this."

"I am _in_ control," Yuki snarled.

"I do hope so," said Muku. "Because if you lose your control, we lose everything. I'd hate to see us lose our homes for your revenge."

"If that will be all, Muku, you're free to leave." Muku nodded and stood. Yuki watched him leave, but her concentration was totally elsewhere.

_How dare he… _how dare he! _Treating me as if I'm a child. I'm 15! I'm old enough to have children of my own by now! And acting as if he could understand me… he'll never get it. At least he has family to go home to…_

She felt pins pricking at the corners of her eyes and she dashed them away angrily.

---

The starlight greeted Zuko back into the world of the waking. In spite of himself, he felt peaceful, more relaxed then he had in a long time. He closed his eyes and lay back, almost completely at ease-

Then he remembered that he'd been drugged, and he sprang out of bed. He was out of his armor, clothed only in his black pants. He looked around, and found a note on the table.

"We apologize for putting you to sleep," he read aloud, "but you have to get some rest! Come join us in the galley once you wake up."

The galley? What could possibly be waiting for him there? His mind worked at the data and it clicked. Of course. He'd been put to sleep throughout the parts of the day that would have involved any labor whatsoever. And to wake up and come to the galley, on Music Night?

_What a way to get a day off._ He scowled, but he pulled on one of his vests and walked for the galley anyway. As he got closer, he could hear music and the sounds of revelry and laughter. _Yes, we most surely _do_ sound like a sick ship, don't we?_ Why, oh why had he let his uncle persuade him into holding that night on any more than one in a month?

He reached the hatch and stepped through into the room. The galley was normally a spartan, sullen affair of gray metal and wooden tables. But tonight the tables were stacked along the wall, along with the benches. Mats were placed along the floor, and the lighting was bright and festive. Soldiers were lounging about, laughing and drinking, with several more at the cleared out 'stage' ahead. Those soldiers all bore instruments of some kind or another - the Songi horn there, and there were the taiko drums, the shamisen, the mandolin, the yang-qin… where was the shakuhachi?

Lieutenant Ji was just stepping away, his face flushed. It didn't take long for Zuko to locate Reiko's distinct mane, sitting next to his uncle. He stalked over, noticing a spot had been kept clear for him, and sitting down.

"Ah! Nephew! So good of you to join us tonight! Unfortunately, it seems you missed another stirring love song from our good friend, the Lieutenant."

A group of soldiers, after some egging from their fellows, stood on the stage and proceeded to sing about exactly what sort of girl they were fighting for. The group of soldiers proceeded to extoll the virtues of their loves against all others. The audience howled with laughter as they sang what lengths they would go to - everything from lifting a rock with a feather to felling a tree with a fish. But the notions of such devotion made other soldiers with loves of their own think back to home and to better days.

Zuko couldn't help but shake his head. He didn't envy his soldiers their loss, the sense of something being missing in them. He had clarity. He had purpose.

_But even with those things_, he thought, _am I really any different than them? My father's banished me, my people forsaken me, my goal escaping me… maybe I am no different…_

Airoh noted his nephew's silence. "Your voice, nephew," he said, "is terrible. I would hate to hear it sung. But your skills as a dancer are quite great."

"If you refer to war as a dance, I suppose…" Oh no. He wouldn't be thinking that. "You don't mean?"

"I do. Kata performed to music is a fine spectacle, and besides that, you'll get to loosen up a bit."

"But…"

"I even grabbed the twin dao for you to use."

Zuko's will to decline was fading. After sleeping all day, he felt the need to do something, _anything_. But this?

"But the song most suited to that form involves the shakuhachi," muttered the prince. "Where is the player?"

"He caught a cold," said Airoh, "which is very ironic on a ship filled with the plague. But still, he cannot play."

"But I can."

Zuko stared past his uncle at the servant's level gaze. "You can play shakuhachi?"

"My brother taught me a bit… I mean, before I ended up becoming a maid."

"Do you know the song 'Rushing Down the Mountain'?"

"Um…?" Zuko proceeded to tap out the beat, an impressive feat with all the mass around him. But she listened, then nodded. "'Breeze off the North'? Yes, I know that song."

The excuses were gone. He sighed. "Well, then, let's go to it." Besides, he reasoned, it'd help refocus the men after that sappy love song. They both stood up and walked towards the open space, soldiers parting like a red sea. When they reached it, Reiko took the place of the shakuhachi player and gave a modest nod to the other players. Zuko strapped the twin sheathes to his back and stood, waiting.

Then came the first beat of the drums. Zuko moved, stepping and kicking in time with drums, his arms striking high and low, moving in time with the beat of the drum. Any change in the beat caused him to move slower or faster, caused him to leap higher or crouch lower. The flames of the lights seemed to flicker and blossom in time with him.

Then it all stopped.

The sharp twang of the shamisen and the trill of the shakuhachi - and Zuko had drawn the dao. At first it was only those two instruments that kept him going, before the soft chimes of the yang-qin and the sigh of the mandolin brought up the wind, and suddenly it was faster, faster, faster. The blades of the dao took flames to their edges, swirling in vicious cutting circles.

Then, with one last beat of the drums, it ended, with Zuko kneeling on the ground and the dao in both hands spread out from him in one last final double slash. The soldiers roared their approval.

Standing up and sheathing the dao, he bowed. Behind him, Reiko followed suit, placing the shakuhachi back on the ground with a certain reverence.

"Well done, both of you!" said Airoh when they took their seats.

"Taught you a bit, did he?" asked Zuko.

"Well, what else was I going to do with my spare time?" asked Reiko. "I certainly couldn't take books out there with me to the fields, and they never let me touch weapons or anything…"

"So why did you leave home, anyway?" Airoh inquired.

"The farm fell on hard times," Reiko replied. "My parents thought I could have a better life away from home."

"It must have been very hard for you."

Zuko snorted. "At least her parents wanted the best for her. She shouldn't be so sad over something like that."

Airoh gave Zuko a hard look, but Reiko simply shrugged and said, "Your sympathy is appreciated."

---

Kishi: Wow! I got more reviews! Thank you guys so much! Please, allow me to express my gushing gratitude.

Omake no Toki! Niban! Zuko wa Utaeru?

(Time for the Second Extra! Zuko can sing?)

_DIRECTOR: And that's a wrap everybody! Great job today! Phil, I'll want to see you later about some of those script changes-_

_:The lights go out. There is a pause, and general confusion. Suddenly, a stagelight highlights the GALLEY. ZUKO is standing in front of a mike, dressed in a loose t-shirt and jeans. KATARA's standing by on keyboard, SOKKA on drums, and AANG on the guitar, all dressed in similar casualty. At a nod from ZUKO, KATARA opens up:_

_ZUKO: Just a small town girl, livin' in a lonely world  
She took the midnight train goin' anywhere  
Just a city boy, born and raised in South Detroit  
He took the midnight train goin' anywhere_

_:KATARA plays again, this time joined by AANG on an upward spiraling guitar riff. They finish with a thwack of the drum, and ZUKO sings again:_

_ZUKO: A singer in a smokey room,_

_ the smell of wine and cheap perfume  
For a smile they can share the night,_

_ it goes on and on and on and on_

_:the group begins playing in earnest:_

_ZUKO: Strangers waiting,_

_ up and down the boulevard  
Their shadows searching in the night_

_ Streetlight people, _

_living just to find emotion  
Hiding, somewhere in the night_

_:there's a brief intermission of music before ZUKO starts again:_

_ZUKO:_ _Working hard to get my fill, _

_ everybody wants a thrill  
Payin' anything to roll the dice,_

_ just one more time  
Some will win, some will lose,_

_ some were born to sing the blues  
Oh, the movie never ends,_

_ it goes on and on and on and on_

_ AND ON!_

_ Strangers waiting,_

_ Up and down the boulevard_

_ Their shadows searching in the night_

_ Streetlight people,_

_ Living just to find emotion_

_ Hiding, somewhere in the night_

_:AANG erupts into a soulful guitar solo. His face contorts in that ecstatic rage that seems to take all guitarists who engage in solo:_

_ZUKO: Don't stop believin',_

_ hold on to that feelin',_

_ streetlight people  
Don't stop believin',_

_ hold on, streetlight people  
Don't stop believin',_

_ hold on to that feelin'..._

_:with a flourish, the song finishes. At first there are a few bursts of bewildered applause from the audience, which soon becomes enthusiastic and fullblown:_

_ZUKO: Thank you! Thank you very much! Always wanted to do that!_

_:laughs as the applause grows:_

Kishi: Yeah. Classic song. Props if anyone knows it.

:the author snaps his fingers:

Kishi: That's right! I owe you guys some translations, don't I?

'Fire Pattern' - this is a hand movement in Northern Shaolin. One hand moves and clears the body upward, while the other shoots outward in a fist.

The Glorious Strategist - this world's equivalent of Sun Tzu, the strategist that is most likely to be referenced by the Fire Nation. His strategies focused on using the terrain to advantage and maintaining control of however many variables possible.

'Every candle has a wick' - a saying I made up. A candle is hard to burn unless you have a wick; once it does, it burns down easily.

Kagi - a Water Bender who lets the group into the city. His name means 'Key.'

Kousetsu and Yuki - brother and sister; both of their names are words for 'snow.'

Kishi: I think that's it for now. This is also my first time writing Bending fight scenes. What did you guys think? Good? Bad? Please tell me…

Avatar: The Last Air Bender is copyrighted to people who aren't me. I don't know who they are, otherwise, I'd give 'em credit.

The song 'Don't Stop Believin'' is copyrighted to the band Journey. Go out and download it!

The only things I own in this story are those things that I perceive as being original, and thusly are mine. If you recognize something that you came up with first, all credit goes to you.

I have no clue where you can contact me. I think the address is in my profile…


	6. Battle on Ice!

Kishi: Right! Let's hop to it!

---

Chapter 6

Battle… on Ice!

---

It was early morning, and the guards standing at the top of the wall stamped their feet to keep circulation. They'd been the pair lucky enough to pull the swing shift, and were now anticipating the arrival of their replacements. Neither really anticipated having to deal with anything particularly major in the next few minutes.

"Well, would ya look that," said one of the guards with a shift of his spear. A column of soldiers was marching toward the gate, all clad in blue parkas – the guards mournfully noted the lack of supplies – and all wearing masks.

"Who goes there?"

"We are warriors of the Ainu tribe, of the east," called out the leader. His mask was like some sort of demon, blue and white and wicked.

"Ainu tribe?" asked the guard. He turned to his cohort with an asking look.

"I've never heard of an Ainu tribe," said the other guard. They turned to look at the group speculatively as he muttered, "then again… there _are_ hundreds of tribes… I mean, there's gotta be a couple we don't know, right?"

"Fair enough," said the first guard. And they _did_ need more warriors. With things getting as desperate as they were, who cared where reinforcements came from?

"Give us a few moments!" the guard called down before rushing off to find a Water Bender. When found, the Bender said he'd be glad to open the gate – but not before ascertaining the identity of their friends. They ran back to the wall and the Bender made a gentle pushing motion, allowing a small tunnel to melt out of the ice.

They walked out to meet the warriors, all of whom were standing still and silent behind their masks. "Who did you say you were again?" asked the guard.

"As we said, we hail from the Ainu tribe," said the leader. "My name is Mami."

"The Ainu tribe?" asked the Bender. "That would explain the masks."

"How?" asked the guard, suddenly feeling a bit out of league.

"The Ainu believe that a warrior who dies fighting against them is too weak to know the identity of their killer," said the Bender. Mami remained silent.

"Well, if you say they're legit, I guess they're legit then," said the guard. He knew he should have pressed the point a bit more, but he was just so damn _tired_…

The wall cracked open, and the warriors walked in.

---

Aside from the new arrival, the day wanted to pass pretty slowly. Yuki met with the new leader upon hearing of their arrival and had seen to it that they settled in, getting to know their posts and quarters. She tried to flirt with them, but with the masks on it was hard to tell the effect. She would have to guess on any amount of silence she could elicit.

But they were all quiet. She'd shrugged about it and simply decided, _I'm just that good_.

Since then, the sun had risen and was near its zenith in the sky. She'd finished her morning drills, and the men had all received their orders and assignments for the day, so there really wasn't much to do except to wait for evening drills. It was a refreshing change. Options flooded her mind – sleep, sleep, sleep, or teasing Sokka. She grinned to herself, lying back on her sleeping bag.

There was a light tapping on the snow outside, and Yuki bit back a groan. "Come in," she called out, sitting up and running a hand through her hair.

A younger warrior popped his head in through the tent flap. "Yuki! Come quick! The Fire Nation's at the wall!"

She was on her feet in an instant. "Is it an attack?" she asked, grabbing a spear.

"No, it's something else… I don't know what! Please hurry!" Together they ran through the city, clambering up the steps to the top of the wall. Yuki peered down to the icescape below, and the sight made her pause. There were two Fire Nation soldiers standing there – a soldier bearing a white flag and an officer of some sort if the crest on his helmet was to be believed.

"What is it?" she called down to them.

"My name is Lieutenant Jie, of the Fire Nation fleet under Admiral Zhao! I've come to parlay with the leader of the city's defenses!"

He paused, giving her a meaningful look. She shrugged. "Well, I'm here, aren't I? I don't have all day!"

Jie's face was startled, but he slid smoothly from it. "Very well!" He cleared his throat. "The admiral wishes to extend his respect and admiration to a worthy adversary!" he began. "He is impressed by the valor and pride of the Tribes and furth-"

"You're putting me to sleep, Lieutenant!" The officer blinked at Yuki's rebuttal. "Hurry up! Why are you out here? I bet it's not the cold weather, and you obviously aren't here to fight, so…" She paused. She could hear the murmuring of the crowd below her on the ground behind the wall, and an idea struck her.

"You're here because of _me_, aren't you?" she asked. She hopped up on the rampart and struck a pose, bringing the back of her hand to her forehead and leaning back dramatically. "The young ice princess, and the soldier of flame, locked in combat and separated by an icy wall – a wall that melts with the heat of their passions!"

Behind her the crowd was laughing uproariously. "But sadly, my dear man," she said, sighing and clasping her hands to her chest, "my heart belongs to another… this man right here!" She pointed to the young messenger, who immediately turned a delightful shade of pink and began to mutter. The crowd was loving it.

The Lieutenant had continued to look as if a rod had been strapped to his back. At Yuki's confession, he sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "I've come to tell you all that if you surrender now, all of you will be spared further hostilities."

Oh, this was going to be good. "Well, let's let 'all of them' decide!" Yuki shouted down. She turned back to the crowd below. "The Fire Nation says they want to stop fighting! Can you believe it? All we have to do is open the gates and let them have their way with us!"

The roar of the crowd was answer enough.

She turned to the ambassador below and gave a sad shrug. "So sorry. Couldn't convince them!"

"So be it!" called Jie and made an abrupt about face, marching back toward the coast.

Inside the city walls, the crowd cheered their approval. The poor messenger couldn't even bring himself to look at her as Yuki jumped down from the rampart. She gave him a smile and a brief peck on the cheek. The poor boy squeaked – and fell over.

_Still got it, she thought gleefully as she descended the stairs._

---

The scouts crept forward, inching step by step along the icy dunes. Their orders were simple: get to the coast, get a bead on enemy movements, get back home.

After all, Yuki was no fool. The war chief had known perfectly well that the Fire Nation might have a trump up its sleeve – some hidden reinforcements perhaps, or some hidden maneuver they were unaware of. Hence, the scouting mission.

The scout in the lead peeked over the top of the dune, and his hands gestured for the rest of the party to get down. His two companions – both dressed in white parkas as he was – crawled up and joined him in staring.

They had reached the site of the first landings by Fire Nation ships – the graveyard full of gutted, wrecked hulls sitting askew, frozen in their final moments. Only they seemed to have picked up some more moments. Many, if one believed the frenzy of activity. Soldiers were racing all over the wreckage. Pulleys, cranes, and scaffolding had been erected all over the place, and further observation revealed the intent – catapults were being raised out of the ships and turned manually to find a firing solution.

The three scouts looked at each other, and shared the consensus that this was an altogether negative development. They began to slide down the dune, then spun to make the getaway – and nearly ran headlong into Fire Nation spears.

-

"I still don't understand why we offered them the chance to surrender," grumbled the private. Although his commanding officer had borne the tongue-lashing with proper decorum, he himself had been hard pressed to do the same.

"It's very simple," said Jie. "Zhao's approaching this battle on both fronts – physical and emotional. He _wants_ the Tribes to believe they have us on the run, because they cannot imagine that we are preparing such a blow as to render them utterly helpless."

"But what if they had surrendered?"

Jie shrugged. "Then it saves us a lot of work and them a lot of lives. But they didn't, so we work."

A tapping sounded on the metal door. "Come!" said Jie, and a soldier with the two gold dots of the sentry crest on his helmet stepped inside.

"My men have reported the capture of some intruders, presumably from the city. How shall we deal with them?"

"Send them to Zhao," Jie said distractedly, looking at several pages of specification on the makeshift desk. "He may have a use for them."

The sentry nodded and stepped outside. After all, the officers were busy with the plan. They were busy with their business, and their business was death – and business, it seemed, was about to pick up.

---

"So you say that Zhao is rebuilding those ships?"

"Something to that extent, yes. We weren't able to discern for sure what exactly he plans to do, but it seems clear enough."

Airoh nodded thoughtfully. "Would you care for some more tea?"

"Oh, yes," said the sentry. "It gets damnable cold sometimes… ah, if you'll permit my saying so."

Airoh grinned and waved his hand. They were sitting at the table in Airoh's room, he and the sentries. He'd noticed last night that boats from the fleet had begun to arrive on the icy coastline and that soldiers were working on the ships. And surely, he thought, they wouldn't mind a little extra help, would they?

Looking to the other sentry, Airoh asked, "Have you been able to discern any details?"

"Well, sir, it looks like Zhao's got too many soldiers out there just to fire catapults," said the sentry. "More are being shipped in by the hour. He seems to be preparing an assault on the city proper."

"I see," said Airoh thoughtfully. _Which means_, he thought, _that Zuko's probably in more danger than he bargained for_.

"Sir?" the sentry asked. Airoh looked at him. "Our Prince is in danger. We can't just leave him there."

It did the old man's heart some good to hear the loyalty of Zuko's men. "We won't," he said. "But we can't break through the walls, and we certainly can't march now, not with the eyes of the entire fleet looking our way." He scratched his chin, contemplating. "Do not fear. I will not abandon my nephew so easily. Go grab some more tea and then return to your posts, before Zhao gets suspicious." The sentries bowed and left.

Airoh leaned back and began to formulate.

---

The daylight died quickly, as it always did at this time of the year. Aside from the debacle between Yuki and the Fire Nation lieutenant, the day had passed quietly for the warriors behind the wall.

Mami and his tribesmen were clustered together, shivering in the cold night air when food was brought to them. "Sorry we can't bring more!" said the plump girl who came to deliver their dinners. "Belts are getting pretty tight with the war and all. Please forgive us!"

But the Ainu were strangely silent, staring at their meal – fish and rice. Both cold.

The whole lot of them continued to stare before the warrior next to Mami nudged him in the ribs. "Sir," he muttered in a low voice, "I think they made a mistake. Fish is supposed to be cooked, right?"

"It's no big deal," Mami retorted. "Just go to somebody's fire and-"

"Ooh! Sashimi!" called out a passing warrior. "Man, you Ainu have all the luck! Fish never tastes better than when it's raw and fresh!"

The Ainu collectively stared after him before turning back to their meals. "They eat their fish _raw_?" sputtered the warrior next to Mami.

"Apparently."

"_How?_ That's unnatural!"

Mami said nothing before quickly shifting aside his mask and bolting his entire portion. He couldn't see his fellow's face behind his mask, but the scandalized voice explained enough. "Sir!" squeaked the warrior.

"You must be young," Mami said in a low voice, "so I'll let your lack of discipline slide this once. Now shut up and eat it." _Besides_, he thought, _it wasn't _that_ bad._ Standing up, he said, "I'm going after our objective now. You know what to do."

They knew very well what to do – sit there and pretend to be occupied.

Mami walked down several paths between rows of tents and domes of ice. His path didn't appear to be anything other than random – a left here, a right there, a stop to admire some of the paintwork done on the side of a tent – but a canny observer would have noticed that his track was leading him to the Temple.

The guards at the gates of the Temple greeted him with stiff decorum. They knew who he was. "I understand that the Avatar stays here," said Mami.

"Yes sir," intoned the guard on the left. "He does us great honor by staying here."

"I would like to speak with him," said Mami. "To pay him my respects. The Elders of my Tribe have a message for him."

"Pass, then," said the guard. Mami stepped inside and walked through the entrance hall as the doors shut behind him. It took a couple of inquiries to figure out where exactly the Avatar was staying but eventually he managed to figure it out, walking up the first stairwell on the left and passing through the constant cold of the stone hallway. How many doors down was it? 1… 2… 3…

He stopped at the ninth door and knocked. "Come in!" rang out a youthful voice, and Mami knew this was the right place. He stepped in to find the Avatar sitting on a mat. His legs were crossed and his palms flat on his knees, and he was blinking as though just waking up.

"What's up?" he asked as he stood.

"I have come to deliver a message to you," said Mami.

"Okay… what is it?"

Mami suddenly ripped off his mask as the air about him burst into flames. As the burnt remnants of the parka fell at his feet, the Avatar's eyes widened. "You," snarled Prince Zuko, "are _mine_!"

---

"Of course I _would_ get the night shift, wouldn't I?" Sokka groused. Never mind that the Spirit Flames were out again, or that the stars were shining brightly tonight, or that the moon was of a particularly beautiful luminescence. He would have traded all of it just to be asleep in his bag rather than out here during the coldest, most solitary shift.

And he was hungry again too. He swore.

"Complaining already? After only one month on the job?" a low voice chuckled. "Maybe you're not cut out for this warrior business." He stiffened. He knew who that voice was. "Then again," the voice continued, "maybe I could think of other uses for you…"

"Do you have to do that?" Sokka groaned irately.

"What can I say?" asked Yuki as she stood next to him. "The look on your face is priceless whenever I do that."

"So why are you out here, anyway?"

"The warriors usually don't see me doing much of anything," she said with a shrug. "So I usually take some time to check with the warriors on night duty. Tonight happens to be your night."

"Why night?"

"Because everybody else is asleep and it's easy for guards to forget that anybody cares about what they do," she said, leaning against the neighboring tower.

"I see…"

"So what's it like down in the south?"

"It's… well, it's nowhere near as nice as this," said Sokka. "All the men back home are gone to fight against the Fire Nation. Nothing but old men and women and children."

"Must be awfully lonely down there without anybody your age," Yuki sympathized.

"Well, I did have my sister," he said thoughtfully. "She made things a lot easier… but don't tell her I said that!"

"No problem," said Yuki with a grin. "Still, though, it doesn't sound like you had a lot of friends… you probably haven't even kissed a girl yet, have you?"

"Wha-? I mean, why does everybody say that?"

"Oh, it's nothing to be ashamed of. You didn't have anybody there but your sister, and _that_ would just be wrong…"

"But I _have_ kissed a girl before!" he sputtered.

"Now, now. Your mother doesn't count," said Yuki with that same playful grin. But Sokka's face hardened as he looked out over the ice.

"Awww… did Sokka's widdle feewings get hut?"

"That's not funny. My mother… she died a long time ago."

_That brought about an awkward pause. "I'm sorry," she said._

"You didn't know. It's all right."

"Was it the Fire Nation?"

"Yeah. They came for us pretty early in the war. They're the reason that my father had to leave to fight."

"So you blame them for everything?"

"Why shouldn't I?" Sokka sighed, running a hand through his hair. "If they hadn't came, mom would still be alive and dad would still be there and we'd all still be at home and the war would be someone else's problem. They've taken everything from me."

"A lot of us here in the North can understand that," said Yuki. "There isn't a warrior around here who hasn't lost someone important to them."

"What about you?"

Yuki stared out over the ice for a time. "My entire family."

Sokka looked at her with wide eyes. "That's the reason that my brother was the greatest War Chief in the north," she said, her voice becoming somewhat bitter. "It used to be my father, Hyou, before he died in battle. Mother wasted away pretty soon after that. Kousetsu took over the leadership and took us down to fight with the Earth Kingdom… he died at Be Cing Xe. I'm all that's left."

Another pause. "I'm sorry," said Sokka.

"Don't be," said Yuki. "They wouldn't have wanted it that way. But I love to make it up to them by making the Fire Nation miserable when I can."

"Well, I'm glad we can agree on something," said Sokka with a grin. Yuki smiled back and both were silent for a time.

A fiery glow caught their eye from the south. "A shooting star?" Yuki wondered. "Awfully bright, too…"

"Maybe you should make a wish," said Sokka, watching as the object made a graceful arc toward the city.

"I think I will," she said. But as she opened her mouth to speak, the object reached its peak – and promptly exploded. Hundreds of red objects shot out of the explosion, raining down upon the city –

That was when people started screaming. The objects slammed into walls, ripped through tents, shattered the domes. People proved to be as fragile as ever.

"Lookout!" shouted Yuki, shoving Sokka out of the way as an object slammed into where they'd been standing. They turned to look at it and the horror became clear – the object was a piece of metal. A big piece of metal, sharp, and superheated.

"By the Spirits!" Sokka swore. Yuki's face, however, was snarling into a rictus of rage.

"Damn them…" she whispered, then "_DAMN THEM!_" She leapt from the wall, rolling through the snow and taking off at a run. Sokka ran down the stairs after her. Around him, tents were starting to blaze, and the screams were louder, oh so loud…. He felt bile trying to rise in his throat at the bodies, mutilated, missing limbs or heads.

The ones that were still moving were the most terrible.

Still, there were Water Benders moving about, putting out fires, cooling down objects, telling people to get to shelter, get to the Temple, everything would be just-

Sokka heard another explosion, and as more metal rained down he ran all the harder.

-

Inside the barracks, warriors were up and in arms.

"EVERYBODY LISTEN!" Yuki roared, and the crowd quickly silenced. "The Fire Nation has launched a sneak attack! The walls are no longer safe! We have to take the fight to them! You 10!" she said to the ten closest, "get to the other tribesmen and tell them to meet at the entrance in the next minute! We're taking the fight to them!"

But before they could move, the doors to the barracks burst open. The warriors watched, stunned as people dragged themselves in, looking for some kind, any kind of shelter. A few were physically fine, but others were wounded terribly, bearing burns and long deep cuts. And they were the lucky ones.

"_YOU!_" roared a young man. He was carrying a girl on his arm; she hung limply, her feet dragging along behind. "This is all your fault! If you'd just surrendered like they'd have asked, this wouldn't have happened! My wife would be all right! And the baby… the baby…" his words choked off, and he shook his head furiously.

Another explosion in the air, and raindrops on the roof. But this one wasn't isolated, for soon the ground began to shake with impacts.

A warrior came running in, his clothes burned in some places. "Chief! Almost all our reinforcements are gone! Most of them were killed in the attack!"

On the very heels of that statement, another came running in. "Chief!" he almost screamed. "The Fire Army's approaching! They're breaking down the walls!"

Sokka turned to look at her, to hear the order, to hear anything, but Yuki's face had a frightening calm. But he could see her fists trembling and he was able to intuit her feeling – pure, unbridled hate. She wasn't in any position to give orders. But they couldn't just run out there on pure emotion – it'd be a slaughter.

"Everybody!" he called out, but his voice was far less authoritative. But warriors turned to look at him anyway. "We can't just sit here and do nothing! We can't abandon our homes, or our families to the Fire Nation bastards! We have to fight!"

Some of the spirit began to rekindle in the men's eyes, but the question rang out: "But how?"

Then Muku stepped forward. "Hear me!" he shouted. "We know this city better than they ever will! Let us wait in hiding, and ambush them as they arrive! Any ruins you can hide in will do!"

The men didn't shout or whoop in triumph, but they nodded as one, grim purpose shining in their eyes.

"Let's go!" Yuki suddenly shouted, dashing out into the night.

---

A burst of flame shot down the hallway. Aang was able to neatly dodge it. Zuko came soon afterward with a flying kick, and once again Aang had to retreat. Then came an assault of punches: left and right and left, left, left, coming from below!

Aang sidestepped the upper cut. Hecountered with a palm into Zuko's chest that pushed the prince back a couple steps. The prince immediately returned with a step-in side kick. The young Air Bender was sent flying down the hall.

Standing back up, Aang almost didn't catch the hand that was coming at him. But his hand reached out and caught with the crook of the wrist. Aang's fist made a solid connection with Zuko's jaw. Stepping in even closer, Aang conjured a sphere of air and pushed it into Zuko's chest, sending _him_ flying back down the hall.

With an angry shout, Zuko came running back, fists on fire. With a leap, he landed firmly on the ground, punching both forward. A bar of fire erupted outward, filling the hall with intense heat. Aang ducked into a side hall, running, trying to find a room, anywhere that had some access to water. He flew down the stairs and made a right, and suddenly there he was in the dining hall. Water spigots lined the walls.

Yes. That would do most nicely.

---

Fiery stones continued to pound into the ground, smashing the walls and leaving gaping holes rent in them. Unfortunately, there just weren't enough Water Benders left to rebuild them.

The Fire Army came running in through the walls not as some horde bent on rape and pillage, but as a disciplined, professional force. Their run slowed to a measured, cautious pace, their eyes constantly roving.

Sokka watched from inside the ruins of one of the more cavernous tents, which was barely standing and shredded to bits. _Count them out at a measured pace… in your case, count to 12_, Yuki had told him. So he watched them pass. One… two… three…

As the twelfth soldier passed, he paused under a sudden attack of nerves. It simply caught up to him that he was rushing out, alone, into a group of Fire Nation soldiers, which would probably have Benders in there as well. It was crazy at best – suicide at worst! He could feel the grip on his spear tightening – then suddenly, he heard yells and shouts all over the city. Without another thought he rushed out there, deflecting a darting point and thwacking the head of the soldier soundly with the head of his spear.

Moving quickly, he ducked a swing from the left. He swung the butt of his spear into the soldier's middle. As the soldier leaned over, wheezing, Sokka brought his knee up to the man's face. As that one dropped, he parried a spear point to the side and stabbed the soldier who had done it to him. The spear caught the soldier in the side, and Sokka hurried to kick the man off of it before sidestepping another.

Around him was the purest chaos – the melee, the rush of men back and forth, the clash of weapons, angry shouts and the gurgles of the dying. Sokka could see that many of his fellow warriors were almost as outnumbered as he was.

He broke away and took off running, managing to attract the attention of 4 soldiers. He zigzagged between ruined tents and fractured domes, trying to get them isolated and away from his fellow warriors. It seemed to be working just fine, until he tripped and ended up sprawled out on the ground. He pushed up immediately, only to find spear points awaiting him.

_Damn it, he thought to himself, considering his options. He knew there was no way he'd ever manage to deflect all of them, but he also knew there was no way he'd surrender either._

This particular problem, however, was suddenly solved when a mysterious benefactor literally jumped into the fray. Sokka heard a spear snap, followed by the solid _whomp_ of an impact. The spear points disappeared from his field of vision as he heard the _clack_ of wood meeting wood, the _crack_ of wood meeting face, and felt bodies hitting the ground nearby.

The fight was over in seconds. Sokka turned around to see- "Shin?"

The young man was standing there, hardly winded, apparently almost totally at ease. Two halves of a spear haft were in his hands, and the bodies of the soldiers lay scattered about. "Yes, Sokka."

"I don't get it," he said, standing back up. "You've never been good at what Muku was teaching us."

"I know."

"So how, then?" Sokka sputtered, gesturing at the fallen men. "How the _hell_ did you learn to fight like that?"

There was the sound of an explosion, and they both took off running. "Let's just say," said Shin, "that I kept things hidden from you."

"Things? What things?"

"An awful lot, actually. I promise, I'll explain everything once this is over."

"Yeah, you will," growled Sokka as they rounded the final bend. Another fire had broken out amongst what was left of the tents, and Yuki was standing, surrounded by four Fire Benders. But something was different – she wasn't moving at all. In fact, she seemed to be frozen to the spot. Her eyes were wide and her mouth moving, but no sound came out.

The Bender immediately in front of her punched a gout of flame at her. At last, some movement – but nothing smooth or fluid, more like a terrified hop that ended with her tripping and falling backwards.

The Benders closed in around her – until a boomerang sliced through the air and slammed into the lead Bender's head. As he dropped, Sokka and Shin raced forward, Sokka stabbing into a Bender's chest plate and Shin striking another on the head and leg. As both went down, the last Bender shot flames at them. Sokka's spear shot through and caught the Bender in the leg, and while he was distracted Shin raced in and gave him a solid shot to the head. The man dropped in a heap.

"Yuki! Are you okay?" asked Sokka.

"I… I'm fine…" she said, breathless. She started to stand up, and Sokka noticed her legs were trembling. He rushed over and propped her up on his shoulder.

The tramp of feet was heard, and the group turned to see a mass of soldiers charging at them.

"Isn't this a grim predicament?" Shin said.

"Can you fight?" Sokka asked Yuki.

"Yeah," she said, pulling out a pair of knives. They were strange, almost shaped like a boomerang, only there was a blade on the inner curve.

"Can you throw those things?" asked Sokka.

"Kukri?" she snorted, almost sounding normal. "Not really. But let me show you what I can do!" They ran forward.

---

The long wooden table was picked up and tossed toward Zuko like a child's toy. He rolled aside and sprang up running, only to nearly lose his footing on a slick patch of ice. He cursed as he stumbled.

On the other side of the dining hall, Aang panted. _Man! This guy just won't quit!_ It seemed that no matter what he threw at Zuko, no matter how many times, the guy would just stand back up and charge forward again.

Like now. As Zuko rushed forward again, Aang fanned his hands inward, drawing water from the spigots, then stepped forward. The water rushed forward in a jet, but Zuko sidestepped and punched at Aang, cutting off the flow with his blow.

Aang stumbled, then caught himself and formed a water whip, snapping it forward. Zuko blocked one stroke, then the next, then the next, until the whip suddenly wrapped around his arm and yanked him into the opposite wall – except that he flipped and sprang off the wall and landed without injury. He spun, flinging his foot out and letting a burst of flame toward Aang.

A jet of water doused it, steam rising up into the air – and suddenly, there was Zuko leaping down through the mist. Aang narrowly sidestepped, then retreated under the onslaught of flaming fists and feet. Left, right, left, right, left, right, foot! Slide! Sweep! Roundhouse! Backhand!

Fortunately, Aang had the sense of mind to _not_ retreat in a straight line but rather to curve and absorb the blows as they came. Finally, he sidestepped, whirled his arms, and shot a ball of air into Zuko. The Prince slid for 5 feet before stopping and turning around to face him again.

They both stood opposite to each other for a moment before the wall to Aang's left exploded inwards. As the dust cleared, Aang could see clumps of burning stone, suggesting a catapult round as the culprit. But as the dust cleared even further, all thoughts of Zuko emptied from his mind.

The city was in ruins. Tents were shredded, smoking wrecks. The domes, which had once held an abundance of plant life, were shattered, plants rapidly freezing in the cold. Bodies lay everywhere.

_No, he thought. No, no, no, no, no, no…_

Zuko rushed forward, taking no care in the fact that Aang's eyes had started to glow.

"_NOOOO!_" Aang roared, and suddenly he was floating, the wind whipping about his body. He saw Fire Nation soldiers and swept his hands up, then wide. Water gathered, lengthened and froze. He clenched his fists and the ice shattered, forming several long, pointed icicles. The missiles fired out, spearing any soldier foolish enough to be in the way.

Zuko was having a hard enough time staying planted on the ground, but not even he could fight it forever, flying and slamming into another wall. It would have been fine if that happened only once, but the whirlwind wasn't finished, smacking him into the floor and wall again before hurtling him into a corner where the blessed darkness awaited him.

When he finally ran out of missiles, the Avatar collapsed, the wind dissipating. As Aang's awareness asserted itself one last time, though, he thought he heard footsteps.

---

Raising her hands and swinging them back down, Katara watched as the wave erupted through the ice. The soldiers were engulfed in it and swept back, slamming into their peers as they flowed backward.

She let her arms hang limp at her sides. She'd been fighting for roughly an hour, and she'd never moved so much water in a single day before. She heard the tramp of feet coming and made a sweeping gesture with her hand. As soldiers rounded the bend in front of her and charged, water seeped out of the cracks in the ice. The soldiers splashed through, and Katara gently blew, the water solidifying instantly.

The sound of the soldiers slipping and joining their fellows on the ground proved most satisfying. She allowed herself a brief smile of satisfaction. _Now, if I could just find…_ More feet coming, and she sighed, preparing herself. Then they appeared – masks and blue parkas.

_Finally! "Am I glad to see you guys," she said in a relieved voice._

"We're glad to see you safe," said the lead mask, which looked to be a polar bear by its white color. "Come. The War Chief needs to see you." Katara nodded and followed the masked men, around ruins and corpses. She couldn't help but note that they were following a route to the original gap in the city walls, a route which could have been much quicker had they cut through the center of the city.

But when they got to the gap, Katara gasped. Yuki wasn't there at all – it was Fire Nation soldiers and a familiar looking general…

Immediately, her arms were seized and she was lifted off the ground. "Let me go! _Let me go!_"

The general looked over to her with a quiet expression. "Ah. Yes. I believe we've met before. Something to do with a scroll, correct?"

"You… you're with Prince Zuko, aren't you?"

"So glad to be remembered!" the man remarked. "My name is Airoh. What's yours?"

"Not for you to know!"

"Very well then, not-for-you-to-know. It seems that we have a problem. Zhao has captured the Avatar and my nephew and has the lot of them rounded up in the center of the city."

"What!"

"It gets even better. Not only is he planning on taking the Avatar back to the Fire Nation, he's probably planning an execution."

"How would you know this?"

"It's the way Zhao works," Airoh said with a shrug. "Rather tasteless, really. I would hope for a bit of variety every now and again…"

Katara stared at the old man. _Is this guy for real?_ "And why should I care if Zuko gets executed or not?"

"I'm not worried about Zuko being executed. Zhao probably intends to capture him and drag him back to Fire Nation waters, violating his exile and earning him imprisonment or death." Airoh sighed. "So predictable. So _boring_. No, my dear not-for-you-to-know, you should be more concerned for your own leaders. I understand he has the Abbess there, not to mention a couple of War Chiefs."

Katara gasped. The thought of losing Kaede, Muku, or Yuki to the Fire Nation put a hole inside of her that she knew she could never live with. Not when she had a chance to prevent it.

Even if it meant working with the enemy.

"What will you do to Aang?"

"The Avatar?" Airoh scratched his chin. "I have to try to capture him… but if he gets away in the chaos, who could blame me? I'm just a tired old man, after all." He gave her a roguish wink, and she found herself _wanting_ to like this man, odd though it was.

"So what do you say?"

She sighed. "Katara."

The old man blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"My name is Katara," she said, simply. "And I will help you."

"Good!" said Airoh, clapping his hands and rubbing them together. "Now, if you could go find that delightful flying animal you all ride upon, I will explain our plan…"

---

The first thing Zuko noticed as he returned to the waking world was how awfully _sore_ he was. It felt to him as though he were some sort of rag doll that had been badly abused by a negligent child. He tried to stretch, to work out some of the developing cramps, only to find that he couldn't move in quite the way he wanted either. He opened his eyes to find himself lying on the ground, with hands, arms, and feet all bound together.

He looked around. The remnants of the Water Tribe that had lived here were all gathered in groups all over the place. The Fire Nation's army stood guard all around, soldiers and Benders surrounding the Tribe and others scattered hereabouts.

He opened his eyes and struggled to sit up, getting a good look at the devastation around him. Looking at all the ruin, he felt the familiar stir of anger inside – along with a curious other sensation echoing of loss. _Pity… do I pity these people?_

"These people are truly pitiful," Zhao remarked. "They thought their silly little ice wall could protect them from me. They thought they could outlast me. The fools." He turned around and favored Zuko with a cruel smile. "Do you know what their first mistake was?"

Zuko didn't answer. "Simply," said Zhao, "they should never have left those ships in the ice. They should have melted the ice and let them sink. Of course, we would have sailed in had they done that, so perhaps it was meant to be. But I imagine you're curious as to how I really beat these dogs, eh?"

An icy silence. "Imagine a bomb," said Zhao, leaning forward conspiratorially. "That's not so hard, is it? I'm sure you can do that. And while you're at it, imagine a bag – a bag filled with jagged edges of metal. Soak the bag in lamp oil, light the bomb, light it on fire and send it away. And when it explodes… well." Zhao smirked. "Honestly, these savages should have made ice houses along with their tents."

"You _bastard_." Zhao looked at Zuko. "You don't care at all who you kill, do you? Men, women, children, they're all the same! As long as you get your way, you'd kill anyone!"

"My way is the Fire Nation's way," Zhao smirked. "We're fighting to win. Anyone who gets in the way of that should be eliminated. We're the strongest in the world, and only the strong have the right to say what is right and wrong." Zhao shook his head condescendingly. "Your pathetic morality has cost you dearly, young Prince. As you can see," he said, with a gesture to another body nearby, "it is I who has captured the Avatar. I will bring him back to Lord Ozai as our ticket to victory. And of course, you as well, who was captured in Fire Nation waters attempting to steal him."

Zuko roared in rage, but a kick to his back sent him back to the snow.

"And now, on to other business." Zhao strolled over to three people, dressed in blue – a man, an old lady, and a girl.

"So, you're the Abbess, I presume?"

The old lady lifted her eyes to meet him. "I am."

"I see." Zhao backhanded her, sending her back to the snow. "_That_," he said, "is my message to you. Thank you so much for being weak." He reached down and yanked the old lady up again by her braid. "And this," he said, forming a sphere of flames in his hand, "is a message from Fire Lord Ozai. I'm sure it speaks for itself."

He raised his hand even higher to prepare for the deathblow. The man and the girl on either side struggled against the guards, but to no avail. It seemed that everyone was going to be witness to a classic Fire Nation execution – until, without warning, the fire just disappeared. Not diminished, not exploded – it just wasn't there anymore.

"I think that's enough," came a young man's voice. The group nearest them was the source, and Zuko watched as one stood up. He was dressed in Earth peasant clothes, and his hair was long, his cheeks bearing stubble. But what really marked the man as odd was that his eyes were a familiar silvery hue.

"You're not in a position to make that statement," said Zhao, turning back to the lady and forming the flame again. But again, it just vanished.

"Perhaps you didn't hear me correctly," the man said, and Zuko heard steel. "I said, that's enough."

"Perhaps _you_ didn't hear me, either," said Zhao. "Guards! Tell him what I said."

One of the soldiers advanced as the man stepped out of the group. He darted his spear forward, but the man neatly sidestepped. A couple more thrusts resulted similarly, until finally after another miss, the man stepped close, slid to the ground and kicked the man's knees out from under him. The spear was dropped to the side as the soldier fell, but the man sprang up quickly, grabbing the spear before it hit the ground.

As the soldier began to crawl away, Zhao snorted contemptuously. "So you can handle a soldier. But what about a Bender?"

One of the masked soldiers stepped forward in the fighting stance, legs wide and hands high, but the man did absolutely nothing. Zhao nodded to the Fire Bender, who shot his fist out. Zuko watched as the fireball raced toward the man – and this time he caught it: a certain… _twist_ in the air, as though the very reality were bending or warping, and the ball disappeared.

The man stepped forward and pushed with his palm, and Zuko was able to track the distortion. The Fire Bender stepped aside at the last instant – it didn't hit his heart, only his arm. Still, Zuko watched in horror as armor, flesh and bone all disappeared, and the arm fell to the ground, useless.

Everyone gasped as the Fire Bender fell to the ground, screaming and clutching his stump of an arm. "What manner of sorcery is this!" shouted Zhao. "Guards! Take him!"

The man raced forward as the soldiers came to him and gave Zhao several thrusts of the spear. Zhao dropped the lady and stepped back, parrying with braced arms. The man turned to the hostages and made a cutting motion with his fore and middle fingers. The captives were suddenly able to move their arms and legs, the man and girl immediately elbowing their captor's groins and racing to get out of the way. As more guards stepped forward, chaos erupted as three things happened at once:

One, the Tribe, no longer under guard, immediately revolted.

Two, more Fire Nation soldiers arrived, and immediately cut his bonds and those of the Avatar. The Avatar finally roused, realized the situation, and swept the snow up into a blizzard with a tremendous wave of his hand.

Three, a huge white beast flew in, and suddenly water began pummel the soldiers everywhere.

Zuko was swept into the chaos almost immediately. Soon his hands and feet were afire, kicking and punching in mass pandemonium. Occasionally he would spot the man, fighting with an odd, fluid, graceful technique – and that bend, and screams of pain or horror as men or their parts disappeared in a bloody haze.

Somehow he was able to find his Uncle in that mess. "Uncle Airoh! Is this _your_ doing?"

"Not entirely!" replied the old man, flinging an arc of flame into the crowd. "That man was an interesting surprise, but we have more pressing concerns! We have to get you out of here!"

"_NO!_ The Avatar's right here! If we hurry-"

"It's too late for that, nephew! Look!" Zuko looked and saw the Avatar was already on the beast along with those two companions of his. It swooped lower, though, and Zuko saw that the man, along with the buxom teenager were now fighting side by side almost in the middle. The beast swept low, and the two of them leapt up, climbing up the fur and settling into the saddle. The Avatar snapped the reins, and soon the beast was climbing into the sky.

---

Kishi: Well. That certainly adds a bit of mystery, doesn't it? Anyway, time for the next omake!

Omake no Toki! Sanban! Aang wa 'Rap' wo dekiruka?

(Time for the third Omake! Aang can rap?)

_(SCENE: Karaoke Bar, "The Hammered Dulcimer." The crew's relaxing around a microphone set. KATARA's just sat down after a stirring rendition of Cher's "I Will Love Again." As she sits there, flushed, AANG fidgets awkwardly.)_

_SOKKA: Go on, dude! Go for it!_

_AANG: I dunno..._

_ZUKO: What're you talking about?_

_SOKKA: Didn't AANG ever tell you? He freestyles!_

_ZUKO: No way!_

_AANG: Well... I'm not very good..._

_KATARA: Come on, AANG! Let's hear it!_

_(AANG sighs before standing up and grabbing the mike. Everybody cheers as AANG cycles through the collection, before finally stopping on a song. He turns around with a sly grin as everybody sees what he picked.)_

_SOKKA: Eminem? What the?_

_KATARA: AANG, are you sure about this? I mean, it's not exactly kid's stuff..._

_AANG: I know... but ZUKO let me ask you something!_

_ZUKO: Hm?_

_AANG: If you had... one shot... one opportunity, to seize everything you ever wanted - one moment: would you capture it? Or would you just let it slip?_

_(AANG slips a cap on backwards)_

_Yo!_

_His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy,_

_There's vomit on his sweater already: Mom's spaghetti._

_He's nervous! But on the surface he looks calm and ready_

_To drop bombs. But he keeps on forgettin' what he_

_Wrote down, the whole crowd goes so loud!_

_He opens his mouth but the words won't come out!_

_He's chokin! How everybody's jokin' now!_

_The Clock's run out! Time's up! Over! Blaoh!_

_(AANG leaps!)_

_Snap back to reality_

_Oh, there goes gravity_

_Oh, there goes Rabbit he_

_Choked. He's so mad, but he_

_Won't give up that easy_

_No!_

_He won't have it. He knows his whole back's to these ropes;_

_It don't matter, he's dope._

_He knows that, but he's broke._

_He's so stagnant, he knows_

_When he goes back to his mobile home:_

_That's when it's back to the lab again yo,_

_This whole rap sh+t, he_

_Better go capture this moment and hope it don't pass him_

_(AANG starts head banging to the music as he goes)_

_You better lose yourself in the music, the moment_

_You own it, you better never let it go!_

_You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow_

_This opportunity comes once in a lifetime_

_You better lose yourself in the music, the moment_

_You own it, you better never let it go!_

_You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow_

_This opportunity comes once in a lifetime!_

_(AANG makes the universal rapper hand gesture as he continues)_

_The soul's escaping, through this hole that is gaping:_

"_This world is mine for the taking! Make me King!"_

_As we move toward a New World Order, a normal life is borin'_

_But superstardom's close to post mortem_

_It only grows harder, only grows hotter_

_He blows us all over. These hoes is all on him._

_Coast to coast shows, he's known as the globetrotter._

_But hold your nose cuz here goes the cold water._

_His hoes don't want him no mo, he's cold product._

_They moved on to the next schmoe who flows - he nose dove and sold nada_

_So the soap opera is told and unfolds. I suppose it's old partna,_

_But the beat goes on, da da dum da dum_

_(Headbangin'! Come on, everybody!)_

_You better lose yourself in the music, the moment_

_You own it, you better never let it go!_

_You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow_

_This opportunity comes once in a lifetime_

_You better lose yourself in the music, the moment_

_You own it, you better never let it go!_

_You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow_

_This opportunity comes once in a lifetime!_

_(AANG points out Zuko, and nods at him emphatically)_

_No more games, I'ma change what you call rage._

_Tear this m+th+f+ck+n' roof off, like two dogs caged._

_I was playin' in the beginnin', but the mood all changed._

_I been chewed up, and spit out, and booed off stage._

_But I kept rhymin' and stepwritin' the next cypher._

_Best believe somebody's payin' the Pied Piper._

_All the pain inside amplified by the fact that I can't get by with my 9-to-5_

_And I can't provide the right type of life for my family_

'_cuz man, these G+dd+mn food stamps don't buy diapers_

_And it's no movie, there's no Mekhi Phifer: this is my life._

_And these times are so hard. And it's getting even harder,_

_Try to feed and water my seed, plus see dishonor_

_Caught up between being a father and a prima donna_

_Baby mama drama's screamin on and too much for me to wanna_

_Stay in one spot. Another day of monotony has gotten me_

_To the point I'm like a snail. I got to formulate a plot, or end up in jail or shot._

_Success is my only m+th+f+ck+n' option, failure's not!_

_Mom, I love you, but this trailer's got to go!_

_I cannot grow old, and stay in one spot!_

_So here we go, it's my shot!_

_Feet fail me not!_

_Cuz this may be the only opportunity that I got!_

_You better lose yourself in the music, the moment_

_You own it, you better never let it go!_

_You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow_

_This opportunity comes once in a lifetime_

_You better lose yourself in the music, the moment_

_You own it, you better never let it go!_

_You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow_

_This opportunity comes once in a lifetime!_

_(Panting heavily, AANG falls backward, head in KATARA's lap as they all clap)_

_AANG: You can do anything you set your mind to, man._

_(AANG faints)._

Kishi: Yargh! Note to self - never, ever, EVER use Eminem lyrics again! EVER! Figuring out the right rhyme scheme is _weird_!

:massages hands:

Kishi: Anyway, there are a few things I left undefined last time:

Inari: a fox

Nezumi: a mouse

Tora: a tiger

Neko: a cat

Taiko: a type of drum

Shamisen: a traditional Japanese stringed instrument, similar to a guitar.

Mandolin: a traditional Chinese instrument, similar to a cello in some respects.

Yang Qin: the Chinese term for the hammered dulcimer.

Shakuhachi: a Japanese bamboo flute.

Dao: 'Knife;' refers to the swords Zuko used in the 'Blue Spirit' episode.

Kishi: Hmmm. Yeah, I guess that's it. If I missed something, please let me know.

Avatar: The Last Air Bender is copyrighted to people who aren't me. I don't know who they are, otherwise, I'd give 'em credit.

The song 'Lose Yourself' is copyrighted to Eminem. It's his, not mine. I just used it, darn it!

The only things I own in this story are those things I perceive as original, and thusly are mine. If you recognize something that you came up with first, all credit goes to you.

I have no clue where you can contact me. I think the address is in my profile…


	7. Intermission: Let the Nations Plan

Kishi: OK, kids. Time to settle down and smell the conspiracy…

---

Kara-No

Intermission:

Let the Nations Plan…

---

Deep within the Fire Nation borders there existed a small village. It sat at the foot of the volcanic Toku-yama, and it was the sort of place that went out of its way to be unobtrusive. Fire Nation soldiers would sometimes pause here, to stop at the small inn, but they never lingered long. The place was just a typical small farming settlement, rice patties stretching out around it, and with a few small stores and maybe one tavern.

There was absolutely nothing interesting about the place. So when a group of travelers arrived late one night, they knew they'd hit the perfect place.

They walked to the modest tavern, a small outdoor gathering of tables and benches set close to a wooden kitchen.

This group of four was hardly conspicuous - a gathering of peasants, by the look of things, traveling and simply stopping off for the night. They were easy to forget - typically weathered look, hard hands, hair ranging from dark brown to black, faint red cotton jackets and darker leggings, and wooden travel sandals.

A young boy came to take their orders and started when he saw that each of them had light, silvery eyes, but he brought the sake to them anyway, and they tipped him well.

They sat there, quiet, feeling the warm wind of the mountain dulling the chill of the air.

"It seems that things are set to keep going the way they have been," said one of the men. His hair was brown and short, and his features plain.

"How dull a description for such active times," remarked the one next to him. This one, unlike his fellow, had an unnatural beauty to his features, pale and angular, and his long black hair flowed in a wave whenever he moved. "The world is at war, three peoples on the very brink of genocide, and all you can say is that this is the way it's always been?"

"It's the way of the world," said the first. "It's all a cycle. Peace and war and war and peace are nothing more than repetitions. The world has always been on the brink of change."

"So you would fall back on that tired paradox?" asked the beauty.

"Oh enough, you two," sighed a third. "Honestly, Naota, Liang, you two should know full well that we don't have time for meaningless things."

Naota shrugged, but Liang twirled a lock of his long black hair and sighed. "Always like you to take the fun out of things, Jiro."

Jiro shrugged noncommittally. The man was tall, at an absurd 6'4", but otherwise he seemed to be normal enough with brown hair to his ears and stubble on his chin. Only those absurdly light eyes marked him as anything out of the ordinary.

"This is no time for such things," came the voice of the fourth. It was quiet, and while not particularly sinister his voice was quiet enough to seem like a whisper, connoting shadows. "The world _is_ changing," he said, "and it's progressing faster than we ever could have hoped for."

"I guess you'd be the one to say, eh Cao?" asked Liang.

Cao was the shortest of the lot of them, but solidly built. His hair was pulled back in a topknot, and his features were deceptively soft. Nevertheless, there was a certain quality in his bearing, a certain deft competence in his motions that made people pay attention to what he was doing.

"Here is what we can tell insofar as our intelligence can gather," he said. "The Fire Nation is drawing closer and closer to realizing Sozen's vision. The front lines of the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom step closer and closer to the cities of Omashu and Be Cing Xe. When those cities fall, the Earth Kingdom loses both its religious centers and its political centers. Without those centers, the rest of the Kingdom will eventually fold."

"It will not fold too soon, I hope?" asked Naota. "We can't afford for the Fire people to have an easy victory."

"It's all right," said Jiro, stroking his stubble thoughtfully. "The Earth Kingdom _is_ giving ground, but not easily, and it will redouble its efforts to hold those cities. It will cost the Fire Nation dearly to take them. By the time it's done securing the new territory, the Nation will be severely depleted and thinly spread."

"And we strike then, don't we?" asked Liang, looking to Cao.

"Yes," said Cao.

"But the Avatar could stop even us," said Liang. "Four elements against one is hardly a fair fight no matter how you cut it."

"True," said Cao. "But that's why the Prince is going to keep him busy. He _has_ to stop the Avatar at all costs."

"And how is our 'representative' aiding him?"

"He doesn't trust her enough yet," said Cao. "At last report, he's growing more receptive, but he's not malleable to us yet."

"But that should happen soon, right?" asked Jiro. "After all, his goal is essentially the same as ours for the moment."

"It's within our best interests to serve his," said Cao. "But he is more our tool than we are his. All is going as it should."

---

In a far flung, forgotten mountain in the east of the Earth Kingdom, a temple fought the surrounding jungle. The stone walls were cracked with age, the tile of the flying tresses falling off. The main sanctuary within the walls had a roof once, before it caved in. The windows let in shafts of afternoon sunlight, making the shadows all the more pronounced.

The room was empty, dust and debris spread all over the place. The only things that really seemed to withstand age were four murals on the walls. On each, depicted in such striking color, was a dragon, serpentine and powerful.

Without warning, three of them began to glow. In front of each of these murals a form began to manifest. The first to exist was before the mural of a blue dragon. Its crest was golden and it had a white mane, and it sprang out of the ocean, its look quiet and uncaring. The small spit of land in the picture didn't seem to do it much credit until the viewer realized that an entire town lay there - tiny and utterly insignificant. But the woman who stood in front of the mural now was tiny, petite, clad in a blue robe that flowed and shimmered as she moved. Her hair was white, her eyes a kind azure shade. The only real concession to vanity was a pearl, fastened to her forehead by means of a slender golden chain.

The next to emerge came from the mural right next to hers. It depicted a white dragon soaring through the clouds, gray mane flowing in the winds and the silvery crest shining in the sun. Another woman emerged, dressed in a white robe that seemed to catch the sun. She was tall, her hair long and gray, reaching down to her waist. Like her counterpart, she wore a pear at her forehead, but this one was bound with a silver chain.

The last to emerge was from the mural directly across from hers. The dragon in that one was at rest, which was seemingly unimpressive until one realized that the dragon was sleeping along the length of an entire chain of mountains. This time it was a man who stepped forth, dressed in brown robes that seemed to possess that same light-catching quality. Like the dragon's mane, his hair was the most delightful shade of evergreen one could ask for, but his pearl was in a pendant, held by a leather long and covered in ivory.

The last mural refused to shine. In this one, a red dragon wreathed in flames flew through the darkness of space. It seemed to stretch forever and ever out into the boundless emptiness.

"Suino. Tsuchino," intoned the lady in white. "It is good to see you both again."

"As with you, Kazeno," intoned Tsuchino, the lone male.

None saw any need to move, so Suino spoke: I assume we all know why we are here?"

"To discuss the humans, correct?" asked Tsuchino.

"Yes," she answered. "Certain humans have always been able to call upon our powers at will. You all remember we were glad to share our power with them."

"And why should we not be?" asked Kazeno. "Humans can never destroy us, and if they tried, they would pay dearly."

"That may be about to change," said Suino. "You do realize why Kano is not here?"

"He flies in the heavens," said Kazeno. "He has taken the form of the comet."

"The same used by the humans to start their war, yes?" asked Tsuchino.

"Yes. And they plan to draw power from him again."

"But to do so means the humans would be taking an active part in the Balance," said Kazeno, a note of surprise in her voice.

"Indeed," Suino replied. "Implanting shards of our power into them at birth does nothing to the Balance at all, but to act in tandem with us is to interfere with our ability to keep the Balance."

"Yes. Sozen would never have shifted the Balance, had he not siphoned power from Kano at the beginning of their war," said Tsuchino. "If this new ruler, Ozai, performs a similar feat, humanity could be destroyed."

"That is irrelevant," Suino chided gently. "We have watched countless things grow and live and die. If it is the time for man to die, then so be it. But if Kano becomes embroiled in the human's war, and enough power is drawn from him, he could be destroyed."

Kazeno gasped. "And if that happens -"

"Yes," said Tsuchino, his eyes widening. "The Balance could never be maintained. The world as we know it would collapse, and we with it."

Kazeno turned to face Suino fully. "And why haven't we acted to deal with it yet?"

"The Avatar blocks our path," said Suino. "The Avatar was made to keep the Balance in our stead, a guardian that could never die. The Nameless One named us to be pillars and the Avatar to be the intercessor."

"But what if he fails?" asked Kazeno. "What if Kano is destroyed?"

"Then we will collapse under the weight," said Suino.

"And the Nameless One will not let us act?" pondered Tsuchino.

"No, it is ourselves, our oaths that we bound to our very existence, that do not permit us. We have to bend to the wishes of the Avatar Spirit, and it always says 'Wait.' Only the destruction of the Balance frees us of our oaths."

"So in the end," Tsuchino growled, "all we can do is wait."

"We can," said Suino. "But we can hope as well. It is the only thing we can do now."

The three nodded, bowed, and disappeared in flashes of light.

---

Kishi: Well, let's see how many plot holes I create here. Anyway, here are some more translations I owe you guys:

Suino - of Water

Tsuchino - of Earth

Kazeno - of Wind

Kano - of Fire

Kishi: And also, from last chapter:

Mami - a deceitful spirit

Sashimi - true raw fish, without the rice and seaweed that sushi has.

Kishi: I guess that's it, then. Thanks for reading! The real story shall recommence… eventually… (but since this is a repost, probably in a week or so).

Avatar: The Last Air Bender is copyrighted to people who aren't me. I don't know who they are, otherwise, I'd give 'em credit.

The only things I own in this story are those things that I perceive as being original, and thusly are mine. If you recognize something that you came up with first, all credit goes to you.

I have no clue where you can contact me. I think the address is in my profile…


	8. Enlightenment

Kishi: Now, I know all of you out there are thinking 'OMG! Not another non-bender!' Oh, but he is…

---

Kara-No

Chapter 7

Enlightenment

---

They'd flown from the Fire Nation fleet for the better part of a day. Flying and changing course at random will, avoiding Zhao's navy and the formidable reinforcements that had begun to arrive had taken all their concentration. Shin, without any real consent on the part of the group, had taken the role of support against the enemy. When they were high, he would destroy the stones with a fling of his fingers. When they flew low, his hands made cutting motions, slicing into the ship's hulls, slashing through command decks, cutting up men and material alike. Katara and Aang were hardly idle themselves, swirling clouds and sending the waves rushing over the decks.

Now here they were, the moonlight shining down. Appa flew without guide, south. The events of the past 24 hours had kept everyone driven only on the goal of escape, and only now were events catching up to them.

Yuki stared as hard as a full day without sleep would let her stare at the young man with silvery eyes. "You," she said, "have some explaining to do."

Shin inclined his head. "Why didn't you tell us you were a Bender?" asked Aang.

"Because I am a coward," he said.

"What have you got to be afraid of?" Sokka scoffed. "There's nothing that can touch you!"

"Nothing?" asked Shin. He smiled, a sad expression. "How very funny you should mention nothing…"

"Explain," said Katara.

Shin nodded. "Yes… I surmise you're all curious about my ability to destroy, aren't you?" The group simply looked at him expectantly.

"You are all aware of the history of this world," said Shin. "The Four Nations have always existed, each representing one of the four elements, and always in constant balance. And of course, the Avatar exists as the pivot for the balance, so to speak."

"Yeah, we all know that," said Sokka. "What does that have to do with you?"

"It's relevant because your history is wrong."

"_What?_"

"I speak the truth," said Shin. "Your history is almost accurate, but it's missing one piece - a nation known as the Sky Nation."

"Sky Nation?" asked Aang. "But we had one of those already. The Air Nomads traveled through the air, and we never found anyone else who could."

"Indeed," said Shin. "We aren't called the Sky Nation because of that, but because of our element. You all know the character for Sky also means Emptiness as well, right?" They all nodded. "Well, we are called the Sky Nation because we can bend the Void."

"But the Void isn't an element!" said Katara. "How can that possibly work?"

"Imagine, if you will," said Shin, "that everything around you is composed of tiny particles."

"Impossible," said Sokka. "Everything here is solid."

"There are more particles than you and I could possibly ever count. Benders are people who are capable of acting on the very particles themselves. Fire Benders and Air Benders take the particles of the air and either heat them or shift them. Earth and Water Benders can do the same things, provided that some amount of their element is present around them."

"I guess that makes sense," said Yuki. "Never seen a Water Bender able to make water… it's always present, even if they have to pull it from the clouds or the air or wherever."

"Exactly. Now, our element isn't really an element, per se. We simply tell these particles to disperse."

"Even Air?" asked Aang as his and Katara's eyes widened.

"Anything that has these particles can be destroyed."

"That's sick!" sputtered Sokka. "You guys could have taken over the world at any time with that sort of power!"

Shin smiled bitterly. "We aren't an ambitious lot, Sokka. We wanted to live in peace. In the beginning, we were able to. But the other Nations grew jealous of us. You see, because of our understanding of the world, we were able to create on an unparalleled level. We could literally remove bits and pieces of any impure thing and end up with only the purest metals, creating the strongest alloys. Imagine a sword so sharp it could cut through stone. Imagine armor as soft and light as silk - and harder than steel. Can you?"

They were all silent for a few minutes as they took it in. "Any nation that could do that," said Yuki, "could take over the world. Why didn't you?"

"We had no interest in that sort of thing," said Shin. "Why should we harm anyone? We knew what our powers were. But it became clear that our existence would only lead to war, because we were feared. So we took all our weapons, all our artifacts - and left. Our cities are in ruins, our people scattered to the winds. The only proof of who we are is our eyes - all of us have silver eyes."

"So there are still people like you out there?" asked Aang.

"Yes… but…" he sighed, looking out into the night sky. "It's been a long time."

---

"So let me make sure that I've got this straight," said Zuko. "You're part of a long-lost civilization that was wiped from our history to protect us. You possess the power to destroy pretty much anything that anyone can throw against you."

"Put succinctly, yes," said Reiko. They sat across from one another on the floor of Reiko's cell. The cold metal wasn't the most comfortable of surfaces for holding conversation, but Zuko had had her imprisoned as soon as he'd gotten back aboard. She'd gone quietly, and after the chaos of escaping from Zhao he'd come to see her straightaway.

"So where was this nation, anyway?" he asked.

"We once controlled much of the Eastern Earth Kingdom."

"There were that many of you? But how could you disappear that easily?"

"Because there were never very many of us to begin with. Our policy was generally to leave people to their own devices - simply overthrow whatever warlord lived in a place and show people our way. If they didn't like it, they were free to leave. Most chose us as their leaders of their own free will, and we only showed them those innovations that had nothing to do with war."

"Then you didn't recruit them into your armies?"

"Correct."

"But how could you maintain such a powerful force as you speak of?"

"Because anyone born of the Sky Nation is a Void Bender, we have always had the ability to destroy anything in our path. You saw what just one of us was able to do to all those troops out there in the Water city."

Zuko grunted an affirmative. "So you held them through fear?"

"Only to a certain point," said Reiko. "Eventually, they welcomed us and the irrigation systems, the paved roads, the strong walls…"

"But it's not that way anymore," said Zuko thoughtfully. "So what happened to your people?"

"We spread throughout the world. As I said, there aren't very many of us in the world, ever. It's all part of the balance. You people count in millions, we count in thousands. It was very easy for us to disappear."

"So why are you here, then?"

"Because of Sozen's Crusade."

Zuko blinked. He'd never heard anyone of another nation refer to the war by its original name. "What does the beginning of the war have to do with you?"

"When the war began, the last heads of the Sky People gathered to decide whether we should stand with you or against you. But there was a… difference of opinion. Some thought we should stand against you, to stop the war."

"And the others?" Zuko pressed.

"The others decided to help you. That's why I'm here."

_Too good to be true._ "What's the catch?"

"Simply put, we want to go home," said Reiko. "We want the same thing you do - an end to the unjust exile imposed upon us at the beginning. With the world under your control, we know we'll never have to fear the jealousy of other peoples."

"How do you know we can be trusted?"

"The Fire Nation has always been honorable towards those peoples and entities which aid them. We trust you."

Zuko stood. "Regardless, I hope your people will forgive me for not trusting you yet. You still lied to me, regardless of whether or not you had noble intent. You can just cool your heels here for a while."

He turned and walked through the cell door, slamming it shut. What he _didn't_ expect was that the empty _clang_ as the door bounced off its frame and swung back outward.

Reiko peered at him with a look of distinct amusement. "My Prince, I thought I'd made it clear to you - you will never hold me here, or anywhere on this ship." The Prince's left eye began to twitch dangerously. "Please, my Lord," she said seriously, "I have only ever served you. I swore my loyalty to you. Others wish to as well. You will not regret our service." She knelt down on the ground in front of him, and bowed.

---

Days passed as the gang fled south. They would stop for camp at whatever small spit of land that they could find in the vast blue. Shin, however, had ended up being relegated to the role of outcast. He would often find himself out alone, fishing along the coastline and bringing in his catch the next morning.

He didn't blame them; he knew it was what he deserved. After all, he'd lied about his past, lied about who he was, everything. They had no reason to trust him. Besides, he thought, he'd been alone for a long time. He didn't need people.

_Still_, he thought, lying on the beach one night, _I wasn't lying to them when I told them I wanted to make a difference. I do. If the Fire Nation wins…_ He sighed in thought. _I hate to admit it, but if it comes right down to it, I may have to figure out how to fight without them_.

-

Yuki stared into the flames burning in front of her. There were few trees on this island, and many of them were green to boot. Still, somehow, Sokka had managed to find enough wood to make a cooking blaze. All in all, being in constant flight from the Fire Nation, maybe that was for the best.

There was a pop and the blaze flared just a little. Yuki couldn't help an involuntary flinch. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Katara looking at her. _I bet she feels real good_, she thought, _knowing the invincible harlot isn't all that invincible_. She was quite aware of Katara's contempt for her, had felt impotent rage burning at her almost from the moment they'd met. She didn't care in the slightest - why should she? - but it was a blow to her pride to appear weak to anyone.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing," said Katara quietly. "Just thinking."

"Thinking?" Yuki's browed furled as she attempted to discern the thoughts, so to turn the conversation from the fire. "About Shin?" she ventured.

"Yeah. I just can't believe he had all that hidden away."

"You think _you_ saw something?" asked Yuki. "You should try fighting back to back with him."

"I saw you two there."

"Yeah. Now _that_ was unbelievable." Yuki let the sentence hang. She just wasn't sure how to convey it - the desperate slash of twin kukri cutting down spear hafts, opening veins, slicing throats… and the scent of blood as holes opened in men's chests where hearts used to be, the screams of horror as limbs separated from bodies, and glimpsing him in all that chaos with a look of quiet concentration. There was no fear on his face, no remorse as he fought with that exotic, fluid grace - only focus, an almost serene expression.

No way was she going to tell Katara that he'd frightened her more than the situation they were in.

"Sokka doesn't seem to be taking it too well," she said sympathetically.

Katara nodded sadly. "It's just been so long since he's had anyone near his own age to talk to. Aang's no replacement for that… he was hoping he and Shin could be friends."

"Wow. Sucks for him."

Katara had a look on her face as if she was going to retort in the sharper category. "Let me guess," said Yuki. "You're preparing some comment about how I've never been without friends because I'm a slut or something, right?"

"What? No, I--"

"Yeah you were. I can tell. Innocent little girl from the south, talking like she has the right to judge. Do you have any idea how many friends I've lost?"

"You've probably lost a lot," said Katara. "I just didn't like what you said about my brother."

"You don't like sympathy?"

"No, just…" she sighed and shook her head. "Nothing. Never mind."

Sokka tramped back into camp, scratched up and carrying a clutch of eggs. Aang flew in, his glider folding back into a staff a moment later.

"Well guys," said Sokka with a smug grin, "I managed to find us dinner. Let's go ahead and get these things cooked up and-"

"What about Shin? Maybe he's caught some fish," said Aang.

Sokka stiffened. "He can't have caught much. There aren't many fish moving about yet."

"Sokka, we're right on the verge of spring. This is when the fish really start to moving," said Katara.

Before Sokka could counter, Aang interjected: "I think we need to talk about this."

"What is there to talk about?" asked Sokka. "Shin lied to us about who he was. This man has the power to kill us all with a gesture, and there's nothing we can do about it! Do you want somebody like that along with us?"

"But when he revealed who he was, he was doing it to help us," said Yuki. "You and me specifically."

"And besides that," added Katara, "he never said anything one way or the other about where he was from. We all assumed."

"So?"

"So, we should be ashamed of ourselves for being so trusting," said Yuki. "Best not repeat _that_ little mistake again."

As soon as she finished, Shin strode into the camp, poles across his back. Without a word, he deposited four sea-colored fish and an assortment of roots on a large leaf before turning to sit down next to Aang.

He looked over at Sokka and noticed the scratches he was covered in. He looked meaningfully at Aang and Katara and said, "There's a way to help him out with that, you know."

"What do you mean?" asked Aang.

"One of Water Bending's greatest strengths is the ability to heal."

"Using Water Bending to heal?" asked Katara, a note of incredulity in her voice. "I'm not sure I believe that…"

"Is it so impossible?" asked Shin. "Reach out with your senses. Can't you feel the water in him?"

Aang and Katara both looked at Sokka intently. He squirmed under their gaze.

"Yeah," said Katara. "It's there."

"Well, that water carries bits and pieces that he needs to heal. Just guide it--"

"No," scowled Sokka. He crossed his arms. "You can't trust this guy. He might be meaning to kill me with what he's telling you."

"Sokka, quit whining," said Yuki. "He's trying to help you. I thought you were a man, not a child."

Sokka growled and turned his head away.

"Just guide it to the cuts and bruises," said Shin. "It's almost like you're washing something clean."

Katara frowned, then brought her hands palms up, raising them up to the height of Sokka's head, then sweeping them back down along his body again. Sokka gasped and shivered, eyes widening as Katara continued. Finally, she stopped with a soft exhalation.

Sokka stared at his hands and arms, where the scratches had been - only to find they were mysteriously absent.

"See? That wasn't so bad," said Yuki in a teasing sort of voice.

"Oh yeah? Have 'em do it to _you_ next time," he groused, shuddering.

Shin just nodded and stood. "And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go keep watch." He turned and walked away.

-

A few days later saw Sokka standing in the middle of a sandy expanse. He stared out to see, letting the sea breeze move through the tuft of hair on his head. He could feel stubble growing on head and chin alike and knew he should probably shave soon, but this task had just seemed to diminish in importance. He knew they should be moving on, but he was as anxious for rest as everyone else was.

He kept telling himself, _Today's the day. Today's the day we're going to move on._ But he'd wake up in the morning, get breakfast, and then set to finding food. The repetition of those familiar tasks seemed to soothe his mind as the memories of the battle kept filling his mind. He didn't want to admit it, but Shin's intervention had haunted him more than he thought. He'd been in several kill-or-be-killed situations before, so that wasn't what bothered him. But he'd never seen destruction like that - never seen things just disappear as if they never were.

It wasn't that he couldn't forgive Shin for something like that - it was just that the man scared him too much.

"You wanted to see me?"

He turned to see Yuki striding toward him, and he was reminded of why he'd asked to meet her here.

"Yeah, I've been meaning to talk to you about something…"

He paused, and Yuki gave him a questioning look. "Yes?"

"It's… those knives of yours…"

"My kukri?" She pulled one of the leaf-blades out.

"Yeah. I want to learn how to use them."

"You want to learn the use of one of _these_?"

He winced at the incredulous note in her voice. "I saw you using them in the battle. Those things do an incredible amount of damage… I want to learn."

"You're not getting me, Sokka," she said, her voice serious. "This isn't the sort of weapon you use just for fighting. Kukris are a _tool_ before they're a weapon. In order to truly _learn_ this thing, you'd have to take to using it for every little thing - chopping wood, cutting vegetables, cutting through undergrowth, everything. Even once you get those, you still haven't tapped the real killing power in these knives."

"I'm not sure I follow."

"Most knives let you slit a throat," said Yuki. "But this thing will _take a head off_. In one swipe, if you're good."

Sokka swallowed nervously. "Can you do that?" he asked quietly.

She gave a very feral smile. "What do you think?"

He blinked a few times, then straightened his shoulders. "I still want to learn."

"I'm not much of a teacher," she said. "You'd be better off with my brother, but he's gone."

"You could do just as well," he said.

"No I can't."

"Yeah you can. You said I have to learn it as a tool before I learn it as a weapon, right? So just let me borrow one of yours and we'll go from there."

Yuki gave him a scandalized look. "Are you crazy? I'm not giving you one of these."

"Then how am I supposed to learn?"

Yuki frowned at him, her expression pensive. "Are you really _that_ desperate to learn this?" Sokka nodded firmly. "All right then," she sighed. "I'll lend you one and be there to supervise you as long as you're holding it. You will obey me in everything. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes ma'am."

-

Aside from the small stand of trees where they'd erected tents, the island was truly a lump of rock and sand. As she walked along, Katara had to admit it was bleak… but at the same time, restful. After that hectic day and night of flight, she'd felt as though she could hardly move. But the past few days here had allowed for a certain degree of contemplation.

She found herself thinking of Yuki, of the harsh words they'd exchanged. Katara felt a stirring of resentment in her chest, but after watching the girl performing her tasks and duties as a leader, Katara had to admit to being impressed. Yuki definitely knew what she was about, even with her… _mannerisms_.

Yet the girl also seemed prone to jumping the gun… which seemed, to Katara's mind, a very defensive thing to do. The girl was sensitive – more than that, she was conscious and aware of what people thought of her. _And yet_, Katara thought, _she persists. Why?_

As she walked through the sands, her thoughts turned to Shin. She didn't know why she hadn't sensed it previously but she saw it so clearly now, and she was sure Aang saw it too – the utter loneliness in him. Shin carried himself silently, had always done so, even before he'd revealed himself as a Void Bender. She'd always wondered why he seemed so withdrawn, but the answer almost seemed obvious. For all his confidence and for all his ability, he was almost as terrified of them as they were of him.

_But what is it then? Why is he afraid of us?_ There was just no getting him.

She emerged from her thoughts just in time to notice Aang sitting on a rock. He was staring out to sea, and he had a sad, lost expression on his face.

"Hey, Aang!" said Katara, running up with a smile on her face.

"Oh. Hey, Katara," he said, looking over at her. The smile on his face looked forced.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

_Not with a tone like that, you're not_. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah… well…" he turned his gaze back to the ocean. Katara climbed up and sat next to him.

"It was back at the battle in the city."

"Has Shin got you worried too?"

"Shin? No. I think he's good… but… me…"

"Aang, what happened?"

The young boy slumped, looking into the palms of his hands. "During the battle, Zuko found me, and we started fighting. I managed to do well against him, but during the fight, one of the walls collapsed. I looked out into the city and I saw the soldiers, saw all those _dead_…"

Katara's heart ached as she remembered that he really was just a boy. "It's not your fault, Aang," she started.

"No, it _is!_ It _is_ my fault, Katara!" he said and she could hear tears on his voice. "When I saw the soldiers, I… I lost control… and… and…" He started sobbing, dry gasping things, and his eyes shimmered with unshed emotion. "I… I bent Water… and I froze it… so many knives… and… and I…" He suddenly turned to her, tears running down his face. "I _killed _them, Katara! Every single one!"

Katara felt her own eyes prick as she watched the savior of the world sobbing brokenly into his hands. She reached out and wrapped her arms around him, and she felt him put a pair of trembling arms around her, crushing her to him. She held him there as he sobbed into her shoulder, as her own eyes shed in sympathy.

Gradually, he stilled, his breathing steadied, and he stayed there, exhausted in her arms.

She thought she heard him whisper something. "Aang?" she asked, her voice steady.

"I can't do it," he whispered. "I can't do it. I can't do it."

"Yes you _can_."

"I can't. I can't. I don't want to kill anyone ever. Those soldiers all had families, all had _lives_… I can't give that back to them…"

"Aang, listen," said Katara softly. "It's bad to kill. But if you don't fight, the Fire Nation's going to start the same thing again in another city. You saw what that weapon of theirs can do. Do you think people like Zhao are going to stop with just the Water Tribe?"

The young boy was silent. "The Avatar is supposed to preserve all life," he said, softly. "The bringer of peace and understanding. But if I can't hold to those ideals… am I really worthy of being the Avatar?"

"Yes, you are," said Katara. "Remember when I said I believed in you? I still do, Aang. I still do."

Aang just closed his eyes and held her even more tightly.

---

Kishi: Well, you guys probably want some explanation for this…

We've all seen all sorts of weird Bender types, from Soul to Shadow to Light to Nature. So why is mine any different?

It's rather simple, really.

The show's creators decided to base their elements on the classic elements of Buddhist thought - water, earth, fire, and wind. However, according to classic thought, there is a fifth element - Sky, or Void. After watching the show and catching the gist of all the elements that exist, I thought to myself - "Wouldn't it be interesting if a fifth element appeared that actually _fit_ the canon the creators set up?"

Void Bending is the result. The movements are based on Xing Yi Quan, as is the fighting style. The weapons and armor Shin's mentioning come from applying very careful amounts of Void to the edge of a sword and to spider's silk (which happens to be stronger than steel).

Kishi: Oh! That's right, there's supposed to be an omake in here somewhere… uh…

Omake no Toki! Yonban! Sokka wa hontou no sekai ni…

(Time for Extras! Four: Sokka in the real world…)

_(The scene opens up on the campus of Berkley University. SOKKA walks out of a classroom in a tweed suit. Students stream out after him; a glimpse of textbook reveals 'Introduction to Thermodynamics.')_

_SOKKA: Whew. Finally. I do I'll have a gander at the new Sudoku puzzle…_

_(Suddenly, a kid with tattoos dressed in baggy jeans and a loose orange shirt runs up)._

_SOKKA: AH! I mean, hi! Nice to see you, AANG!_

_AANG: Oh, man! Katara was right! You _do_ wear a tweed suit!_

_(SOKKA fumes as AANG laughs)._

_SOKKA: It wasn't my idea, okay? They have this dress code thing here for teachers._

_AANG: Man, sucks to be you! Anyway, studio called. They want us to do some more work on that 'Kara-no' project._

_SOKKA: What? But… but Sudoku…_

_AANG: Later! Let's get a jump on this thing!_

_(SOKKA looks at AANG with a desperate gleam in his eye)_

_SOKKA: But AANG! Sudoku! _Sudoku!

_AANG: Oh, it'll be waiting for you when you get back. Now come on! I hear Yuki's gonna be there-_

_(SOKKA immediately takes off running for his car – a 2004 Ford Mustang.)_

_SOKKA: What're you waiting for! Come on!_

--owari

Oh, and an explanation of terms:

Kukri - a big, knasty knife. That's really all there is for it. You have to look it up on Google to really get a sense for it.

Avatar: The Last Air Bender is copyrighted to people who aren't me. I don't know who they are, otherwise, I'd give 'em credit.

The only things I own in this story are those things that I perceive as being original, and thusly are mine. If you recognize something that you came up with first, all credit goes to you.

I have no clue where you can contact me. I think the address is in my profile…


	9. Coming to Terms

Kishi: Well. Guess who's back?

---

Kara-No

Chapter 8

Coming to Terms

---

"Tell me more about the People of the Sky."

"Well, my Prince, as I said, there are those of us who will render aid to you. But there are others who are not so willing," said Reiko. "After we were scattered to the winds, we lost all semblance of unity. There are now hundreds of factions spread all over the world, and no two are the same."

"I remember you mentioning something about that."

"Yes. Most of them you need not worry about. They either chose to run away from the war or are too impotent to affect you. Only one has both the power and the will to oppose you - the Kage."

"The Kage?"

"Yes - they hold to the old ways," she said. Zuko was surprised to see a look on her face outside of distant serenity - a scowl. "They somehow have justified our exile, and wish to hold us to this way of life."

"Why would they do such a thing?"

She shook her head. "I have given up trying to reason out their motivations."

Zuko shrugged it off. They were sitting now in his room, around the low table. Airoh was there as well, and all three sat around a map of the world. With Water Bending out of the way, the only place left for him to go would be the Earth Kingdom. Zhao had seen to purging heretics out of the Fire Temples whenever he found them, imprisoning them or having them publicly executed.

However, on the bright side, that meant that tracking the Avatar had become that much easier, without having to rely on rumors all the time. There was just one other problem…

"While I do like to listen to history with a cup of tea," Airoh gently interposed, "I'm afraid we have a more pressing issue at hand. When we get to the Earth Kingdom, we're going to lose our ability to use the ship."

"Yes, I remember," said Zuko. "None of the temples he's going to are near water. We're going to have to track him on foot."

"Not only that," said Airoh, "but we'll have to work our way around our own armies as well. Remember, Zhao is not without his sympathizers. If they find us, there's no telling what could happen."

"So we'll be roughing it," said Zuko. He looked at his Uncle. "You don't have to come along on this journey," he said.

Airoh looked at him critically. "And what are you suggesting, nephew? That I am an old man, fit only to sit back and play pai cho while you traipse out in the wilds?"

"Not at all," said Zuko with a shrug.

"What a shame," said Airoh. "I was hoping you would say so and let me stay…"

Reiko giggled and this time, Zuko couldn't keep a wry smirk off his face. "So, nothing's really changed," he said, stretching.

"Actually, my Lord, I may be able to aid you," said Reiko. "I could play the part of guide. Choose the quickest paths that the armies could never pass through."

"Part of that help you were mentioning earlier?"

"If you wish it."

"I think, at this point," said Zuko, "that I ought to take whatever I can get."

---

The town of He Fang was a quiet place in the best of times. It was a small town on the northern borders of the Earth Kingdom, and was fairly unremarkable as far as towns went. The place _was_ famous for pickled goods - but then, the winery was also famous as well. People expected this to be the case.

But there was something about this town that wasn't apparent - it was the two roads that led away from it. The town was a bottleneck - the solitary guardian of two vital trade routes that carried goods and people all over the Kingdom. To control this town of sleepy merchants was to control one of the largest throughways in the Kingdom.

Small wonder that it was under siege.

With the Fire Nation waiting in the wilderness, Sokka had figured it was a bad idea to go foraging. Besides, he thought, it was a town of merchants. Surely they had food of some kind… and they'd probably haggle for it to boot! Fortunate, since their finances were looking a mite poor at the moment.

They managed to enter He Fang by passing off as refugees fleeing the invading army. So many had been passing through lately that the guards didn't even bother with a second look. Their eyes had been peeled toward the northwest, where the armies kept coming from day after day.

They made their way over to the market place – and Sokka frowned. "That's odd. Where are all the merchants?"

"Maybe they made a run for it?" Shin ventured.

"Makes sense," said Yuki thoughtfully. "You guys noticed the garrison here? Not many soldiers here."

"Well, that's great," groused Sokka. "If the military's in charge, no way we'll get any food."

Aang looked all around at the empty stands, his expression calm, but distant.

"Aang? Are you all right?" asked Katara.

"Look around," he said, his voice soft. "This place can't hold out for much longer. There are hardly any people here, and even the soldiers know that it's almost over."

Sokka frowned as he listened. Aang had been given over to these quieter bouts more and more lately. He'd managed to pick up that it was because of the battle back in the North Pole, but he wasn't sure why. Aang had faced war before without any ill effects… but the details seemed to be between he and Katara, and he wasn't being let in.

He looked around the town. There _were_ citizens here, but not many. And, like Yuki said, there weren't many soldiers here either. His fists clenched as he realized how close to collapsing this place was.

"We have to help them," Aang said. "And I _want_ to help them… but…" His face became downcast, as a frown creased his features.

Katara looked at him with a sympathetic expression. "Don't worry, Aang," she said, quietly. "You don't have to be alone this time…" Aang nodded, becoming just a little less distant.

The group walked over to a section of wall that wasn't occupied. "Okay, we've got to figure out our next move here," said Sokka. "What do you guys think we should do?"

"Well," said Yuki, "it's pretty clear that this place isn't going to last much longer at this rate. We can't just sit back and let it happen."

"I'm not sure I agree," said Shin. "The war is so much bigger than just this place."

"How can you be so _cold_?" asked Katara. "These are innocent people! If the Fire Nation takes over this place, they'll be put to slavery or worse!"

"The war is bigger than any one conflict," said Shin. "We've been traveling for a month already. Aang _has_ to learn Earth Bending in order to fight Ozai. The sooner he does that, the sooner the war ends, the sooner conflicts like this cease."

"But you can't be suggesting we just abandon them?"

"Whatever we do, we can't stay here."

"I hate to admit it," said Sokka, "but he's got a point."

"_Sokka!_"

"We can't stop to fight every battle along the way, or we'll never get to the next temple," said Sokka evenly. "But we can't move on from here without supplies, either."

"What are you thinking, Sokka?" asked Yuki.

"We leave the Benders here in town," said Sokka. "Aang, Katara, and Shin can probably do more to protect this place than we can. Meanwhile, you and me head out into the forest and scrounge around for supplies."

"Right on out there, eh?" Yuki grinned fiercely.

"We're not going to fight the Fire Nation," Sokka said firmly. "We need supplies first and foremost."

"Sure, sure, I know," she said easily.

Sokka rolled his eyes. _How did I end up with a group like this, anyway?_

-

With their plans decided, the group went its separate ways. Sokka and Yuki ambled off into the woods, each holding one of the kukris she carried. Aang and Katara walked off to report their services to the commander of the garrison. Shin, on the other hand, was in a position of secret aid, having long ago agreed with his people that the rest of the world just wasn't ready for him yet.

So, until the inevitable attack, he was stuck out with nearly nothing to do… except reminisce.

_You've certainly come a long way, haven't you?_ he thought to himself. _Go to all the trouble of running from the war just to get back into it a few years later._ He shrugged his shoulders in a desperate bid to get the kinks worked out.

He walked through the mostly empty streets not because of some need for patrol, but just for something to do. He caught the furtive glances, the hushed tension of the place. He could tell these were not people meant for war.

_Then again_, he mused, _we are rarely suited to what we become. We are twisted, molded by powers beyond us._

_Take myself, for instance. I wasn't meant to be a warrior. I wasn't meant to destroy _people_ with this ability. I was meant to sit and offer philosophy and just _think._ That's all I wanted. Now here I am, traveling with the Avatar, only I'm no longer welcome. I wonder why they haven't dispensed with me yet?_ He turned the problem over and over in his mind, and decided that they still clung to enough notions of decency that they wouldn't toss him out with the refuse.

Not yet, anyway. That was reassuring.

Still, the eyes he could feel on his back tainted all reassurance he could have taken. He continued to move casually, leaning against an open section of wall when he came to it. The slow, casual gait he had assumed made such a movement seem natural.

He watched the people pass by, noted them with a keen disinterest, and none were particularly noteworthy - save, for a young man with eyes not unlike his own. The youth was nondescript, brown hair, same skin and build as an average Earth Kingdom teen in an average town anywhere.

Honestly, spies were so obvious if you knew what to look for.

Shin stepped out from the alcove and began to follow this youth along his path as it wound out through dusty streets to well-worn paths to pine-needled ground. Once there, amongst the evergreens, the youth's stride took a more purposeful gait. Shin followed silently and at his ease, weaving through the trees and keeping his eyes ever on his quarry.

The youth stepped out into a clearing showing the first tender signs of spring, and Shin suddenly found himself hanging back. The clearing contained no less than five Void Benders, their eyes all on the spy.

He retreated one step, then another, then another, until—

"We already know you're here," said a female voice behind him. "You might as well walk forward."

Shin sighed in defeat and walked out into the clearing. All the eyes of the assemblage were upon him, and he knew he was surrounded. There was no way he was leaving this meeting without their approval.

"So," he said, assuming a nonchalant posture, "what is it that you want?"

---

"No, no, no," sighed Yuki. "You're putting too much arm into it. The power of any strike comes from the waist, remember?"

"Yes, ma'am," said Sokka, immediately striving to change his movement. The two of them were standing in a copse of trees. The bags at their feet bore little fruit for their work, but given the season that was understandable. They didn't have the proper tools for hunting, nor the time for setting traps, so meat wasn't going to be available either.

So, Yuki had decided that now was the perfect time for practicing with the Kukri. So now they were standing, she critiquing his technique as she watched.

_It's a simple technique_, she groused. _Step. Quick Slash. Retract._ Those weren't the problems – Sokka was good at simple tasks. The trick seemed to be that he couldn't hit the same target twice. Oh, sure, he could calculate the general _area_ where this artery or that vein _might_ be.

But that was insufficient, and he knew it. She'd told him the proper target areas, and the slash pattern to follow, but he never seemed to stick with it. And when he did, he'd pull off the attack wrongly.

She sighed to herself as she watched him work with that intent expression on his face. She fought the urge to giggle – there was just something childish in that face. She couldn't help it as she watched his awkward body move, pushing through the motions. That determination had a childish earnestness to it that was mildly endearing.

Hell, in other circumstances, it might have even been cute.

She shook her head to clear it of such thoughts and said, "Sokka, here. Let me show you the strike angles again."

Sokka's shoulders slumped, but he nodded an instant later. As she walked over next to him, his eyes widened and followed something.

"What is it?"

"I think I see some—there it is again!"

"It being…?"

"There's a shadow moving in the trees out there," whispered Sokka, crouching low.

Yuki joined him. "Fire Nation?"

"Could be. Might be looking for a way to cut off a retreat."

"Well, we can't have that," said Yuki, feeling that dark fury boiling inside, spiking out into her fingers and toes. "Come on!"

The two ran through the woods silently on the feet of hunters. At one point the shadow stopped, its head cocked as though it were listening for something. The two hastily hid behind a pair of trees, and after a moment the shadow continued on its trek.

It soon became clear that they were stalking towards a clearing. As Sokka and Yuki hid behind the trees again, she heard voices on the still air.

"So what will you do?"

"There's only one real choice, isn't there?" came Shin's voice.

"Well, you have no obligations," said the other voice, a low voice that somehow managed to sound totally at ease. "We can get the job done without you. But the more we have, the easier it is."

"I'm not sure…"

"Well, regardless, you deserve to have this back."

There was a thunk noise. "This is…"

"An old friend of yours, Shin. It's missed you terribly. But as touching as your reunion is, we do have something of a schedule to keep. Are you in on this or not?"

There was a pause, during which Yuki and Sokka exchanged glances. "All right," said Shin, finally. "The sooner this battle ends, the more people are spared."

Eyes widened, and Sokka and Yuki looked out from behind the trees. The clearing was utterly empty.

"What was that about?" asked Sokka.

"I don't know," said Yuki. "But I'd bet that Shin isn't coming back to town tonight."

---

Moonlight streamed down, offering even the dark clouds a silvery lining. Waves lapped against the iron sides of the ship. Such sounds, like a breeze through the heights of a forest, were soothing.

Zuko acknowledged this as he watched the stars from the bow of the ship. He would never confess this activity to his uncle - a prince watching the stars! - but he had to confess that this was often the best place for it, without hard ceilings and the dull roar of the furnaces to interfere. There was just something about leaning against the steel wall, listening to the crash and roar and staring up into the pierced night that somehow set his mind at ease. Here, alone in this moment, there was no Avatar, no war, no responsibility. In this moment there was only serenity, a kind that not even meditation could bring to him. Alone, in this moment, he was himself.

Only, tonight, he wasn't alone.

There was only one word for what she was doing as Zuko watched her. Reiko was moving through an unarmed set of motions - but it wasn't short or hard like his own Bending style was. Hers was strange to him - controlled, fluid, yet suddenly forceful, only to return to nothing again. Her hair twisted and flowed about in the wind. The moonlight was once again playing with his senses, teasing him into thinking she was a little less than real.

And somehow, Zuko couldn't find it within himself to begrudge the intrusion.

He watched her continue through to the end, when she stepped into the _wu chi_, but she just transitioned into another form. It was, simply, a dance. There was simply no other way to describe it.

"You are full of surprises," he said, finally stepping toward her. She swept back to the _wu chi_ as if she'd meant to do so originally.

"It's how we're taught to be," she said, voice quiet on the wind. "We're always taught how to disappear, passing like ghosts on the wind."

"A useful skill," said the Prince thoughtfully.

"Perhaps," she said, "but it's more than that. For the People of the Sky, disappearing is a way of life. We are, but… at the same time, we are not."

"That's hard," said Zuko in a flash of insight. _She's like me to an extent_, he thought. _Caught up in the middle of something huge, and not allowed to be who she wants to be, being and being justified only in what she _has _to be_.

"It is," was all she said. They were both silent, sharing the breeze.

"Hey, listen," he said, turning back to her. "Helping us navigate through the Earth Kingdom, through hostile enemy territory, roughing it without sight of a friendly town for weeks or even months… it is much to ask."

"I know," she said. "But I'll do it anyway."

"But why?"

"Well," she trailed off. Zuko turned to look at her and was surprised to note a very slight pink tinge crossing her face.

"Well?"

"I swore loyalty to you, my prince," she said softly. "I will not flinch from my duties. I will endure anything you say, if you ask it of me."

_For loyalty, eh?_ Zuko fought to keep an ironic grin off his face. "Well, I appreciate it. So… thank you."

She bowed in response. He nodded tersely and decided that he should get some rest. He turned on his heels and walked toward the stairs belowdecks.

---

The Fire Nation camp was an organized city of tents. At the center of the camp were the mobile headquarters and the supply depots. Then rank upon rank of dull canvas, with Fire Nation flags and banners interspersed throughout. Guards patrolled along the perimeter, along the paths in the tent town.

The moon had just hidden behind the clouds when the Shadows appeared. They didn't appear all in one place, all at one time, but they came nonetheless, racing through with a very specific target….

-

The Shadow didn't want to sully its blade with blood just yet. Time enough for that later.

It raced onto one of the pathways after the guards had passed, and tread on silent, stealthy feet. Steadily, row after row of tents passed him by.

Then, suddenly, noise! The sound of armored feet tramping in his direction. He threw himself to the ground, hiding in the protective shade of the tents themselves. The soldiers moved at their ease, past his position without sighting him at all. It was as he'd suspected – the Fire Nation was utterly convinced of its impending victory in the next few days.

He wasn't complaining in the slightest, but really now… that was just sloppy.

He waited 'til they were at a safe distance before stepping out again. He continued along the beaten dirt path, pausing in the shadows of the tents again. Now he was near the depots, but there was a lot of open ground between here and there… not to mention the timber walls and the guards. He looked at them carefully – yes, two guards, two torches.

Easy enough. The Shadow clenched its fists, then let the fingers splay outward. The flames of the torches suddenly died. The guards turned to look at the torches, mystified, but by then it was too late.

The one on the right enjoyed the sudden sensation of having his head slammed into the wall. As the soldier collapsed down to his knees, the Shadow stepped forward, thrusting his palm to other guard's face. Then the Shadow's leg came around in a c-step. The guard was uprooted and fell to the ground. Suddenly his face met a knee, and the guard was down.

Satisfied, the Shadow stepped into the depot. He looked around, and from inside his black garb produced a sack. He began to inspect barrels and jars with an efficient boredom, taking cured meats, bread, fruits, vegetables. When the sack was full, he nodded to himself and looked about. His fingers stiffened and he waved his hands about vigorously, as if he were erasing a drawing in the sand. The motion continued for a minute or so before he stopped, satisfied. He picked up the sack at his feet and cautiously made his way back out the entrance.

---

"They're out there. I know they are. Why haven't they come in yet?"

"Who knows what they're thinking?" Katara mused aloud.

Aang sighed restively. Why couldn't they just come and get it over with already? His nerves tingled with a fear unlike any he'd ever encountered. It wasn't that he was afraid of the enemy. He wasn't afraid of the battle itself, either.

He was just so tired of being afraid of that boy in the mirror. There was no telling what horrors this monster would inflict, what untold death and destruction he could wield. Why couldn't that moment of truth simply come and go and be _done_ already?

"Aang," she said as she stared out down the road, "don't worry."

"Why not?"

"Nothing bad is going to happen."

"Why _not_?" Aang snapped.

"Because you're afraid," she said. She turned and smiled at him. "As long as you're afraid, you'll keep an eye on yourself. You won't let the Avatar Spirit take you so easily."

"But what if it does?"

"Then it does. But you won't let it happen so easily. I trust you."

Aang sagged against the wall, staring out toward where they knew the Fire Nation was camped. "I'm glad somebody does," he said softly, more to himself than to her.

"Have you all been busy?" asked a familiar voice. They turned to find Shin standing there, a bulging sack at his feet and a sword strapped to his back. There was also something else about him, as if a weight had been lifted off of his back.

"Shin! Nice to see you again!"

"And where have _you_ been?" came another voice. Sokka stormed up, a hard glint in his eyes.

"Have I done something wrong?"

"Yeah! You disappeared all night, with an impending attack, and then you show up again like it's no big deal!"

"This is a problem?"

"Yeah! Maybe you're a traitor and you're helping the Fire Nation behind our backs! What's wrong if we lose a little battle?"

"You know, you're absolutely right," said Shin. "I'm sorry, mother. I promise, I will always let you know whenever I go off to do anything on my own. Perhaps you'd like to come with me when I relieve myself in the woods?"

All of them stared at him.

"Did he just do what I think he did?" asked Katara.

"I think so," said Aang, his face veering wildly between shock and outright amusement. "I think he just slammed Sokka!"

"Now look, you!" Sokka snarled, stepping forward. Shin held up the bulgy bag.

"Careful," he warned. "You don't want to smash the food, do you?"

"Food?"

"Yes. That stuff you were trying to find, remember? I found some for you guys."

"Where the hell did you find food, anyway?"

"Well…"

Suddenly, the guards shouted. The group turned to look – a lone Earth scout was trotting down the road. There was a rumbling as the wall separated to admit him, a crash as it reformed.

The group ran down the carved stairs to find the scout, shouting jubilantly. His hat had fallen to the dust a moment before, but he carried on his revelry regardless. "They're gone!" he shouted. "The Fire Nation's just up and disappeared! I saw them beginning to withdraw this morning!"

"Private, what the hell are you babbling about!" roared the garrison commander, striding through the growing circle of people.

The private snapped to attention and repeated what he'd been saying - albeit much more professionally. "Impossible," said the commander, rubbing his chin. "I want guards stationed around the clock. This could be a trick."

The soldier nodded and saluted, but the excited gleam in his eye wouldn't extinguish.

Sokka turned to Shin, who was standing and whistling a nonsense tune. "You had something to do with this, didn't you?" he asked.

"Yes. And not to worry - the army won't attack," Shin replied. "All their food is gone, and many of their weapons have decayed. Fighting now would be suicide."

"And you did this when?" asked Yuki.

"Oh, just last night," he replied airily. "Some old friends of mine decided to remind me why I was fighting... and I thought I owed you guys."

"It's all right," said Aang, his voice relieved. "It looks like everything managed to work out. Don't worry."

That was when Katara noticed it - a handle sticking over his shoulder. "Shin?" she asked. "What's that?"

"This?" he asked, touching the handle. "This is a friend of mine that's decided to join us on our journey... if you'll still have me."

Glances were exchanged, nods and frowns mixing and matching, before consensus was reached

---

Kishi: Ah, another one knocked out of the way. Thanks for all the encouragement so far! I really appreciate it.

Transrations:

Kage: shadow.

Yuurei: ghost. This is Reiko's faction.

So, it's a war of shadows and ghosts... yeah... cool, right?

Kishi: And now, for a very special extras session.

Omake no Toki! Goban! Akai to Midoritai!

(Time for Extras! The Fifth - Red vs. Green!)

_(In the middle of He Fang, a pair of privates run up to an aggravated sergeant)._

_SERGEANT: Move it, ladies! This ain't no Earth Kingdom Festival!_

_PRIVATE LI: Yes, sir! Sorry sir!_

_PRIVATE XIAO: What is it, sir? Is the war over?_

_SERGEANT: Why yes, Xiao, it is. The war's over. Turns out you two are the big heroes! They're gonna hold a big parade in your honor! I get to lead the dragon dance. And _Li is in charge of confetti!

_XIAO: I'm no stranger to sarcasm, sir._

_SERGEANT: DAMMIT, XIAO! Shut your mouth, or I'll have Li poison you in your sleep._

_LI: Oh, and I'd do it, too._

_SERGEANT: I know you would, Li. Good man. Anyhoo, I want to introduce y'all to the newest addition to our arsenal. Roll it out!_

_(A huge machine of some sort is wheeled out to the square.)_

_SERGEANT: This here's the new Earth Kingdom Mobile Weapons Platform. It has four wheels and is driven from an armored compartment down below. In the upper platform, there are several boxes of stones that can be hurtled at high-speeds. I like to call it the Scorpion!_

_XIAO: Why the scorpion?_

_SERGEANT: Because Earth Kingdom Mobile Weapons Platform is too long to say in conversation, son._

_XIAO: No, but it doesn't even look like a scorpion! It looks more like a... like a... I dunno..._

_LI: Like what, a Platypus Bear?_

_XIAO: Yeah, that's it!_

_SERGEANT: A what?_

_XIAO: A Platypus Bear. It's a big bear that can swim._

_SERGEANT: ... I bet you made that up._

_XIAO: No! It's a real animal!_

_SERGEANT: Look - you see that standing place up there? That's a STINGER. Now what other kind of animal has a stinger?_

_XIAO: ... a bee._

_SERGEANT: Didn't I just tell you not to make up wild animals? LI!_

_LI: Yes sir!_

_SERGEANT: I want you to poison Xiao's next meal._

_LI: With pleasure, sir!_

--owari

Kishi: Yes, I did totally butcher it. At least I'm honest, though.

Avatar: The Last Air Bender is copyrighted to people who aren't me. I don't know who they are, otherwise, I'd give 'em credit.

Red vs. Blue is copyrighted to Rooster Teeth Productions. Check out their website! They ROCK.

The only things I own in this story are those things that I perceive as being original, and thusly are mine. If you recognize something that you came up with first, all credit goes to you.

I have no clue where you can contact me. I think the address is in my profile…


	10. The Man and the Mountain

Kishi: YEAH! All right! I was gonna take the Break off, but because of one review? Heck, I'll get this taken care of in a few days!

---

Kara-No

Chapter 9

The Man and the Mountain

---

It was a beautiful day in a small town. Birds sang, and the sunlight was gentle. Rin sighed in contentment, sweeping out the front steps of her restaurant. Yes, it was hers - and her husband had damn well better remember that, and keep his innkeeping to himself.

Yes, it was a fine morning. The smell of new growth and the banter of store owners opening shop both gave the air a friendly feel. It didn't seem possible to be the sort of day where anything could go wrong.

With a last decisive sweep, Rin planted her broom and cast a proud eye over her domain. Yes, no dust here. Only an old man, dressed in a tired red robe. Her eyebrow raised at the unusual color, but she said nothing of it.

"Sorry, Grandfather," she said, tucking a strand of graying hair behind her ear. "Restaurant doesn't open 'til noon. Girl's gotta have some time to eat and clean up, you know?"

"That's what they tell me! That's what they tell me," said the old man. The grin on his lips seemed ready and real. "But that's all right. I'm not here for a meal. My nephew says I could use a diet."

Rin laughed. What a charming old man! Her husband could use some lessons from him. "Then what are you here for?"

"Just some conversation. My old bones want me to take a rest from my pilgrimage, and I do so love to talk."

"Pilgrimage?"

"Yes! I swore to myself that I'd see the great temple of Be Cing Xe once before I died. Besides, my nephew says I need the exercise."

"Well, you're certainly a long ways off, aren't you?" she asked. "It's nearly two weeks to get there by foot by even the quickest paths."

"Where are those paths, anyway?"

"Oh, you don't want those, friend," she said. "They pass right near the frontlines between us and the Fire Nation."

"How terrible!" the old man exclaimed. "Have things really become so bad?"

"Yeah. The Fire Nation's been pressing hard on the line since late last winter. It's been pretty rough."

"So why are they coming so strongly?"

"Well..." Rin looked up and down the street. "Well, this is just what I hear, so don't get your hopes up, all right?" The old man leaned in, his broad face open and honestly interested. "I hear the Avatar beat 'em bad up in the North Pole."

He looked shocked. "Really?"

"Yeah. And now he's somewhere here in the Kingdom! People been saying he's the reason for the victory at He Fang! The Fire Nation's terrified of him!"

"That does explain a lot," he said, scratching his chin. "Has it been hard on you?"

"Oh no," she said lightly. "Business is booming! Soldiers passing through on the way here or there - and they're always hungry."

They spoke for a time longer, and the man left her feeling much happier about her lot in life on the whole.

---

"And... begin!"

Sokka immediately threw a hard right at Shin's head. Shin sidestepped, caught Sokka's arm and pushed him away. Sokka lashed out with a foot and caught Shin in the middle. Shin, however, seemed to simply flow with the blow, and didn't appear any worse for it.

The group had come to a rest for the evening, and with no dinner to worry about for a while, they had all decided to practice. Aang and Katara were working together in a push-and-pull drill with some of the water from her bag. That left Shin and Sokka and Yuki to work together, and Shin plead a need to work on barehanded techniques. That had pretty much settled it.

Sokka made a lunging grab at Shin. Shin made a double Whipping Branch, grabbed Sokka's hands, and twisted them back on themselves. Sokka winced, flung another foot at Shin. Shin blocked with a leg, then stepped down and brought all the pressure to bear on Sokka's left wrist. He twisted, throwing Sokka away.

Sokka stumbled, and turned back to Shin with a snarl on his face. He stepped in with a vicious left hook. Shin sidestepped out of the way - only to catch Sokka's right elbow in his chest. This time Shin stumbled back, wheezing slightly.

"With the _elbows_?" wondered Shin aloud. "You sure that's a good idea?"

"What're you worried about?" asked Yuki with a grin. "Last I heard, we've got two healers on call any time! Beat each other up as much as you want!"

"Ah, great!" said Sokka. He was grinning, but his eyes were hard. "Now I can _really_ beat the crap out of you!"

"What! What'd I do?" asked Shin.

"What did you do?" Sokka replied. He smirked before launching a flurry of punches. Shin was forced on the defense, ducking and moving around to avoid the blows. The kicks often met air or a defensive knee, but there seemed to be little that Shin could do in the face of Sokka's fury.

Finally, a stray blow to his shin caused Shin to lose his focus for a split second. In that instant, Sokka landed a solid punch to his face. Shin stumbled backward, trying to recenter himself, but it was too late. Hit after hit lit him up, covering his front entirely. Then a series of uppercuts struck him in the stomach, the last of which drove the wind out of him.

"You _lied_," Sokka growled as Shin fell forward. He caught the other man's head in a lock and drove him to his knees. "You lied about who you were and what you were doing! You nearly let us die up at the North Pole, you utter _bastard!_"

He clenched his arm, cutting off more of Shin's airflow.

Shin could see Yuki's cool expression, working towards interrupting or letting it go on, waiting for him to tap out. With his eyes fixed on the ground, his arm inched forward, meeting Sokka's leg.

"So what do you want to hear?" Shin gasped out. "You want to hear I'm sorry?"

"Say it and we'll see," snarled Sokka.

Shin's hand suddenly sprang off the ground, and pinched the nerve on the underside of Sokka's leg. Sokka shouted in shocked pain. Then the blow came to his groin from below, and he was awfully quiet.

"Somehow, I don't think it'd make any difference," said Shin as Sokka collapsed.

"I thought it'd be enough that I taught them how to heal," said Shin with a quiet voice. "I thought it'd be enough that I turned back an army for you guys. I thought it'd be enough if I even went out of the way to get you guys food. Do you really want more proof that I'm sorry?"

Sokka finally managed to sit up and look at him, face and expression level.

"Well," growled Shin, "you wanted to beat it out of me. I guess I'll beat it into you!"

"ENOUGH!" shouted Yuki as Shin stepped forward. They both stopped.

"Looks like it's time for you boys to cool down. Aang! Katara! You wanna do the honors?"

---

Airoh's information had proven to be quite useful. Knowing that the fighting was waiting for them had made predicting patrols and camouflage very easy. But, alas, certain variables outside of their control had intervened, driving them off the beaten path. Now they were out in the open, just below a rise in the plain. Ahead of them lay a most unwelcome sight.

"Well, isn't this a shock?" asked Airoh. "Who would have thought the front could move so quickly?"

Zuko snorted. "Things must be getting desperate back home. They're pushing harder than ever to capture those cities."

In front of them, the Earth Kingdom's tents stood proudly. Yet, even as they watched, they could see the tents being taken down. Camps up and down the line of combat were disappearing, preparing to move to more defensible positions.

"My Prince," spoke Reiko in a low voice, "we must move soon. If the rumors we've heard on the way are any suggestion, the front's been getting violent in its shifts. The Fire Nation could get here any time."

"Right. Let's move. Stay below the rise and maintain distance."

"And if we're caught?"

"We fight, Uncle. Getting caught isn't an option."

"Right then. I assume Reiko has the lead?"

The girl nodded and they ran, always careful to keep their heads below the rise. They were far enough away that silence wasn't necessary, so little care was taken to avoid twigs or stones. Airoh managed to surprise both of the youngers by keeping up, not even breathing hard - a surprising feat since he carried as heavy a load as they.

Suddenly Reiko held up a hand.

"What is it?" asked Zuko. The tension of the moment had smothered his voice to a whisper.

"It's the rise," Reiko said. "It's sinking." Zuko peeked over her shoulder, and sure enough it blended into the terrain ahead of them. And they were within seeing distance. The armor and clothing they wore would definitely be enough to identify them to the advancing Earth Kingdom troops.

"Great," Zuko growled. "And we can't just sit here and wait them out because they'll march right over."

"Normally I would suggest a conversation with our friends there," said Airoh, peeking over the rise, "but that doesn't seem to be an option anymore."

"What do you--" Zuko started - and then he heard it as well. The trampling of feet. The great roar of a thousand thousand shouts. He gave his uncle a tired glare. "You've got to be kidding me."

"I wish I was!" he said, scrambling back down. "We have to run!"

Zuko growled, but they all took off, running even faster. As they cleared the rise, the line met them - men in green with wide-brimmed helmets, on foot and on the back of their ostriches. But there was nothing panicked in it. Whatever had excited that roar out of them just moments ago had fallen under the subjection of soldierly discipline. As they weaved in and out of the mass, a part of Zuko dreaded what must have gotten them moving.

They finally cleared the mass of men and out of the corner of his eyes he could see. The line of green bodies was pressed and intersperesed with red. The clash and crash of metal echoed across the plain, and Zuko could see that the line was fit to collapse. Even as his instincts pushed him to run faster, he found the selfless discipline of these Earth fighters to be touching.

"Zuko!" Reiko called out to him. "Up ahead!" They all looked, and he couldn't believe their luck - forest stretched out and approached them. He didn't need to say anything - they all knew that if they made it to the forest, they'd be able to hide and wait it out.

Then arrows began to pepper the ground around them, and suddenly things were that much more desperate. And even though they were running faster, it was no help - the very air had become alive with death.

Zuko saw Reiko start to make cutting motions with her hands. Arrows began to break in mid-air, as if they'd been cleanly shorn in two. At first it would be simply one or two, but then Zuko could see whole flights being shorn, as if Reiko was developing a sense of their timing and hers and creating destructive harmony.

But even she couldn't stop all of them. Zuko knew hers before she did. His eyes traced the arc, followed it down, down, down. He let the flames burst forth from his hands to catch it, stop it, but it sailed through his flame and stuck in her arm. He didn't hear her make any noise of any kind, and she didn't slow down, and her arms didn't stop moving. He marvelled at that terrible focus as they kept running until finally the trees offered them shade.

They finally stopped running, coming to a rest amidst the trees. Even here, Reiko was expressionless; indeed her eyes were distant, her face serene.

"Reiko? Reiko! Snap out of it!" Zuko barked.

She blinked, shaking her head and she seemed to snap out of whatever frame of mind had taken her. "My Prince? What is it?"

_What the hell?_ "Reiko, there's an arrow sticking out of your arm. Can't you see it?"

"What are... oh. _Oh_." She grimaced in pain, as if just noticing it. She clutched the bloody injury, trying to staunch the red flow.

"And not a doctor in sight," mused Airoh. "Zuko, get the bandages." As he knelt and unslung his pack to dig around, Airoh went over to Reiko and looked at her levelly. "Reiko," he said, "I know this is going to hurt, but we have to pull the arrow out." She nodded. "And then, to sanitize, we're going to have to cauterize the wound and bandage it. I know this is going to be painful, but you're going to have to relax and trust us."

"At least let me help a little," she said. She looked at the arrow and clenched her good fist - the arrow simply disappeared. Without the arrow there, more blood flowed from the wound, tracing red rivers down her arm.

"I trust you heard me, nephew?"

"Yes. What do you need me to do?"

"I need you to hold her. She's going to react this, regardless of how trained she is."

"And... how, exactly?"

"However you can to give her something to hold to. As for you," he said to Reiko, "I need you to hold this in your mouth." He presented her with a slender roll of bandage, which she took between her teeth. They sat her down, Zuko on his knees behind her, arms wrapped about her shoulders. Airoh held her arm in one hand, the other poised above.

"Are you ready?" he asked. Her face was grimly set as she nodded, and his wasn't without sympathy as the air in his free hand began to shimmer with heat. He pressed the palm to her wound, and suddenly she was a stiffening, writhing, screaming mass of pain. Her free hand reached up and clenched around his head, and he held her tightly, keeping her grounded and as immobile as he could manage.

It was over in less than a minute. Airoh began to bandage the wound as Reiko leaned into Zuko, sobbing softly.

---

"So, let me get this straight," said Sokka. "You're tired of going around the mountain to get to the village."

"Correct!" said the old man. His gap tooth whistled as he talked.

"So you want to move the mountain."

"Correct!"

"And, in order to do that, you're going to move it... with bombs."

"It's not a foolish thing! I tell you, it will work!" The old man produced a bomb from the folds of his robes. "See? See?" He lit the fuse and tossed it. Sokka stepped back nervously - and then a loud BOOM! and it was done.

"Uh-huh. Yeah. You keep working on that," said Sokka before climbing atop Appa.

They'd climbed into the sky only a little when Katara asked, "What was that about?"

"It's that old man back there," said Sokka. "Apparently there's a town over the mountain that he likes to go to, or something. But it takes him days to get over this thing, so he's got some idea about leveling it."

Aang looked down at the mountain as they continued to ascend. "He's gonna be at it for quite a while."

"Yeah. Even with those bombs of his."

They continued their flight, up and over the mountain. They spotted the village, a small rural community right at the foot of the mountain. They didn't mean to stop by, but they noticed a large, clamorous crowd of people at the town square.

"D'you think it's a festival?" asked Aang.

"Maybe," said Shin. "But d'you think we should stop off for it?"

"Yeah! This could be a chance to see some Earthbending!"

"Well, if you look at it that way..." but Appa was already descending at Aang's direction.

What they found couldn't have been further from festivity. As the group walked toward the gathering, they could hear shouting, which proceeded to make itself clear:

"The old man's crazy!" shouted a woman towards the forefront of the crowd.

"He's a menace!"

"He'll kill us all!"

The man in the center shouted above the din: "And what'll you have me do about it? He's at least a day's travel over the mountain! He could blow the top off this thing any time! Even if we get to him in time, we'd have to get him to tell us where they are, and who knows how long it'd take to get them?"

The group stared at the crowd. "Please don't let this be what I think this is," groaned Sokka.

Yuki walked up to one of the young men and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to look at her, and he blinked. His face looked open, honest, utterly uncomplicated. So his lustful yearnings were apparent as he openly eyed her up and down. Sokka felt an angry surge in his chest at the man's attentions - and was surprised. _Where did _that _come from_?

"Excuse me," she said sweetly, "I'm kinda new around here, and I have no idea what's going on."

"Well, it's like this," the young man gawked. "There's this crazy old man who wants to blow up the mountain, right? He been sayin' so for years, and we didn't think nothin' of it - 'til we saw 'im 'bout a day ago plantin' bombs on the mountain! The landslide from that thing'll kill us if he has his way, but there ain't no way we can get to him in time."

"What? Crap! So much for setting up a homestead here," she sighed.

"What? But women don't farm alone."

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't introduce my husband, did I?" She turned and looped her arm around Shin, who apparently didn't mind being a prop. Sokka felt another irrational stab in his chest. He noticed his sister shaking her head, caught somewhere in incredulous amusement. Aang was blushing furiously.

At least that dumb gawker caught the hint to leave.

"So, what're we going to do, guys?" she asked.

"Appa and I can fly back to talk to the old man. Maybe we can stop him from blowing the mountain."

"Good idea, Aang," said Sokka. "You and Katara can go back and talk to him. The rest of us will stay behind to get people out of here."

"Right," said Katara. "We'll also get some people from here to come with us. Maybe they can help?"

The group separated.

---

Even with the aid rendered by Airoh, blood had still managed to leak from the wound, staining the pure white of her bandage. But it was better than leaving the arrow in, certainly.

The part of it that threw Reiko's mind for a loop was that she had been held. She couldn't rationalize in her mind why exactly it was that this mattered. She'd been held before, after fights against other Sky folk, and she'd held others in turn. That couldn't be the source of her turmoil. But that could only mean one thing.

She looked at Zuko's sleeping features. At least now he was relaxed, free of the constant grimace his features fell so easily to. She couldn't deny it anymore.

Most aristocracy the world over never considered their servants. Servants were supposed to bend and break for their masters with unquestioning loyalty. It was duty to do so, and so she had expected it to be with the Prince... and yet...

And yet, he had single-handedly shattered the stereotype. Where other nobles were too proud to associate with the common folk, he rubbed shoulders with every one of his crew. The Prince, despite his words and his posturing, was every bit as loyal to his crew as his crew was to him. And that extended to her as well. He _trusted_ her.

That wasn't the problem. That was part of the Plan, after all. The problem was that she wanted to trust him as well.

"Wow," drawled a voice. "Taking watches and all? You play the loyal servant thing to the hilt, huh?"

"You must be the contact from Cao," said Reiko casually, turning to the speaker. She was plain, ordinary. She could be pretty if she tried, but she didn't look to be the kind of girl who cared for such things.

"Yep! And no need for the formal servant speech thingie," she said, standing ramrod stiff. "You don't owe me anything, remember?"

"Please," said Reiko. "You know this is how I speak regardless. My teachers are my only family, remember?"

"Mhm. I know the story. Everybody in the Yuurei knows about you. Hell, maybe even most of the Kage know as well."

"Wouldn't that be interesting."

"Yeah. Anyway, on with the report. How's Prince Charming?"

"Anything but," said Reiko, allowing herself a small laugh. "He's nothing but grim focus and purpose. Getting him to notice me has proven more challenging than we thought."

"But he has noticed you?"

"Yes. His propriety didn't keep him from embracing me today."

"Good. I do hope the arrow we gave you didn't penetrate too deeply."

"Whether it did or not is irrelevant. You shot me. He held me. The ends justify the means."

"That simple, huh?" the contact said, shaking her head. "So where are we meeting next?"

"As of now, the goal is Be Cing Xe. I can't see getting into the city, but infiltrating the Fire Army should be no problem."

"Yeah." The contact stood to leave. "Is there anything you want me to say to Cao?"

"Tell him..." she paused, figuring what she'd say. "Tell him to stay out of trouble."

The contact merely shook her head before disappearing into the shadows. With that, Reiko turned back to her study of the flames.

---

"I can't believe I got stuck on babysitting duty," Yuki growled.

"We're not children, Yuki," said Shin. "If you don't want to keep an eye on us, you can go work on telling those people to leave."

"You two are children because you're stubborn," she said. It was clear she meant he and Sokka both. "And I'm not going to waste time on those idiots back there either." _What a bunch of _idiots! she thought to herself. _Shin and Sokka are too stubborn to apologize, that old coot on the other side's too stubborn to move here, and these village idiots are too stubborn to leave!_ She swore bitterly to herself.

And then a series of loud booms erupted from the mountain. Then she swore for all to hear.

The loud booms echoed across the village. People screamed and started to run, but she knew it was too late for that. She heard the telltale rumble of land sliding down the mountain. The ground started to shake beneath her.

"_Stand back!_" Shin roared, surprising her again with how loud he could be sometimes. He took a couple steps forward, watching as the mountain collapsed down around him. People streamed past them from the one field that was near them. Behind, a wall of earth advanced after them.

With the last person past, Shin sank himself into a low Horse Stance, breathing deep. And then the breath exploded out of him in a shout, his arms and hands tense and shaking. The air between them and the mountain suddenly shimmered.

The earth continued steadily in its rush toward them. And then it hit that wall of air - and vanished. And continued to vanish. No matter how fast it flowed, no matter how hard it beat against the wall, it couldn't prevail. People stopped and stared, fearful hope bare on their faces.

"I swear... I swear..." she heard Sokka mutter. "If this works, I'll drop my grudge. Just let this work. Spirits, _let this work_."

They seemed to be listening. Shin didn't rise from his stance, and his limbs still trembled. They could see the sweat pouring down his brow, but he did not falter. There seemed to be in him a purity of focus and determination that said he would not move. The roar gradually lessened, the shaking stilled, and soon the only real roar was from Shin. But as the last pebbles rolled to a stop, Shin let his arms drop. The rest of him followed suit.

"Shin? Shin!" They both ran forward and found him staring up into the sky, his expression blank. "Oi!"

He blinked and looked up at them. "Hm? Is that it?"

"Yeah, you did it. Good job."

"Sokka, honestly. Out here in public?"

Yuki gave Sokka a sidelong look, but the guy was grinning despite himself. A shadow passed overhead, and they turned to see Appa descending. Everyone aboard looked vexed to some degree.

"Guys, I'm really sorry! I didn't mean for-" Aang spluttered.

"Oh, no no no!" the mayor said, waving his hands in a placating gesture. "It's not your fault. We all failed. But it looks like everything worked out all right!"

"Hmm?" Aang looked around. "Hey! Everything's fine!"

"Yes. Fine and good. And now, I do believe I shall sleep."

---

Kishi: Well, I'm practically a week late, and on the cusp of the New Year and everything! But see, here's the thing - I could have finished it by Christmas Day. I really could have. But it would have been much worse. I was caught between two promises - time and quality. I made a choice, and while I regret any displeasure, I don't regret what I did. Yeah. I just hope you guys like it!

Omake no Toki! Rokuban! Oshougatsu Omedetou!

(Time for Omake the Sixth! Happy New Year's!)

_KISHI: Seeing as they're more likely to celebrate the New Year than Christmas anyway, let's ask what they received!_

_SOKKA: I got a boomerang!_

_KATARA: I got a Bruce Lee book!_

_AANG: I got Temp Tattoos!_

_AIROH: Tea! Earl Grey!_

_ZUKO: I got a rock..._

_... owari..._

Avatar: The Last Air Bender is copyrighted to people who aren't me. I don't know who they are, otherwise, I'd give 'em credit.

The only things I own in this story are those things that I perceive as being original, and thusly are mine. If you recognize something that you came up with first, all credit goes to you.

I have no clue where you can contact me. I think the address is in my profile…


	11. Familiar Face

Kishi: All right, then. Onward and upward!

---

Kara No

Chapter 10

Familiar Face

---

"Couldn't sleep?" came the familiar voice over the shoulder. Aang turned to look up at Katara from where he lay on the bison's head.

"Nah," he said. "I just can't believe it's already been a month since the North Pole."

"Yeah," she said, leaning over the lip of the saddle and staring off into the distance. He stared up at her, watching the starlight play across her features.

"So..." she said after a few moments of their staring, "are you all right?"

"Hm?"

"It's been a month since the North Pole," she said. "A month since that day... and I was wondering if you're doing all right."

He smiled up at her. "Yeah. I think I'm gonna be okay. Thanks."

She nodded at him and resumed staring. The moon on the clouds was really a sight to see, offering quiet serenity to what was usually rushing wind and churning fog. Even with the wind rushing past, it was still quiet. Shin, Sokka, and Yuki were each involved in some pursuit of their own - Sokka talking with Yuki, Shin sitting in meditation.

Every one of them had been a help to him when he needed them. He wanted to be able to say that he'd pulled himself out of his depression on his own, to say that he'd pulled out of that black despair that'd taken him. He wanted to _believe_ that he'd pulled himself from sitting up into the early morning hours, from crying bitterly as every face danced across his mind.

But he hadn't pulled himself. He'd been held, hauled bodily from the pit that had threatened to swallow him. All of his friends had been there for him, no matter how bad he'd gotten. But out of all of them, only one really stuck out.

When everyone else had gone and left him alone, it was Katara who'd stood by him. It had been those times when it would have been so easy to just disappear, just hop on Appa and fly away. But she'd anchored him there, held him together when he'd wanted to break down. And now, here they were, flying toward Be Cing Xe in the middle of the night and he was staring at her and finding himself at a loss for words.

Why? What reason could there be for this awkwardness? Why couldn't he bring himself to thank her? He opened his mouth to say something - what? What could he say that would let her know? Why did he even care how the words came out?

_You care_, he thought, _because her opinion means more to you than anyone else's words. Because you know she doesn't owe you anything. She could break you _so easily_. And yet she's always there to help you, listen to you, keep your feet on the ground._

_Since when does she mean so much to me?_

The answer came upon him, and he felt as if the world dropped from beneath him.

"Hm? Aang, are you okay?"

"Yeah Katara. I'm fine..." She started to disappear back to the saddle, and he knew he had to say _something_. "Katara!"

Her head peeked back at him instantly. "What is it?"

"Well... ah," he fumbled. "Thanks... for being there."

She smiled at him. "Any time." And with that, she disappeared.

---

The city of Be Cing Xe was a huge city. Banners and pennants flew on the walls, fluttering in the strong breeze. The city itself was filled with temples and palaces, sandy stone and emerald tile and gardens of bonsai and rock. There were smaller homes, blocks of square apartments stacked one atop the other. Here in the night, light shone in all of them, and one could hear the dull reverberations as the gongs called for evening prayer. The streets were empty, but in more peaceful times they would be filled with merchants selling all manner of products. And at the center of the city would be the defining mound - a mountain, almost a solid lump of stone, riddled with holes and gates. And well that it should be, for at the very top of the mountain sat a pagoda. It was small - only three tiers, but its height above the city lent it an air of power and reverence.

The eye that peered at it blinked, focused on it before pulling away from the looking glass. The eye was hard amber, and belonged to the Lady Qiao, a General of the Fire Nation. The army that stretched out behind her and surrounded the city was hers as well.

She turned and stalked back to the long table that held all her maps. Be Cing Xe was the main map, and several others detailed routes and terrain features around the city.

"The hour is late," came a cold, clear voice. "I need to relay orders." The voice was not impatient, but merely speaking in terms of fact. The woman herself, Colonel Zhen, did not look the sort to be so stern. Short, brown-haired, amber-eyed, but there was a softness to her features. Only the cold gleam of her eye gave her away.

"Indeed," came the voice of another colonel, Zhu. Zhu's topknot shone dimly in the lamplight, and brown eyes reflected it. His solid frame was relaxing in the high-backed chair provided to him. "We're all pressed, my Lady. Why have we been summoned?"

"You should not speak thus to your commanding officer, Zhu," said Qiao. Her voice was soft in the way that a sword is when it leaves the sheath. "You do not question me."

Zhu seemed about to protest, to protect himself, but the hard golden glare killed his response, and he lowered his eyes. Feh. "Forgiveness, Lady."

She said nothing more, only changing her gaze to meet them both. "We've received," she said at last, "a missive from the Fire Lord, back in Lei Yang. The news of the Avatar's progress has caused some distress back at home, and our Lord is pushing for haste."

They remained silent. They had not been called to speak. The rules of conduct forbid speech, now that she spoke.

"He says, in no uncertain terms, that we are to crush the city, regardless of cost in lives."

"Ours or theirs?" asked Zhu. This question could pass. He wasn't attacking authority, only asking information.

"Regardless of the cost in lives," she said, her voice carrying a fatal finality.

"It will be difficult," mused Zhen. "The fighters of this place are a harder lot than we thought."

"Indeed. And so the Fire Lord has given us a gift," said Qiao. "Along with this message there came a shipment of weapons - new weapons unlike anything we've ever seen." She gazed at them, but both were quiet. "These new weapons - these Bursting Stars - were perfected in the recent Arctic Campaign. They are fired, with a bomb and a load of 'shot' - sharp blades, nails and the like. The explosion heats them and flings them at exceptional velocity into enemy ranks. They were key in our victory there."

"A fierce weapon," Zhen murmured. Her lips curled upwards. "It suits us."

"Perhaps," said Zhu. "But how can we be sure we're not going to kill peasants?"

Zhen looked at him consideringly. "We've been throwing rocks at the city for more than a year now. Their deaths mean very little at this point."

"I'm assuming that these Bursting Stars are limited," said Zhu with a shrug. "Best not to waste them on innocents."

"You mean peasants," said Zhen. Her voice had suddenly grown very hard. Frankly, Qiao couldn't blame her. This wasn't the first time Zhu had voiced sympathy for the enemy. That did not do... but then again, it wasn't entirely his fault. Marriage had softened the man. A shame, really.

"Innocents," Zhu repeated. "Peasants. Call them what you will, but they don't have anything to do with the fighting. Take their soldiers from them, and they will crumble." At least he hadn't said _fathers_ _and sons_. The man wasn't a total dolt.

"There are no innocents in that city," Qiao said. They both bit down their words and looked her way. "War leaves no innocents," she said. "If a soldier falls, another will take his armor and his sword and his stead. Only by utterly breaking them can we end this."

It was a hard philosophy. Had she been able to sit down outside of her current position, she might have judged it cruel. But the time for that had passed a long time ago, and for her it was the truth now.

"We will distribute these Bursting Stars," she said. "Our targets have not changed. You have your orders."

The two bowed and went to stand. "Zhu," said Qiao. "Stay a moment."

Zhu sat, his features still. Good. He was off-balance. Time to push just a bit more.

"Your wife just recently wrote to you, correct?"

He blinked. "Yes, my Lady."

"Is she well?"

"Yes, my Lady."

"And your daughter?"

"As healthy as ever. She talks about going off and studying Fire Bending, but I don't think the spark is in her."

Qiao nodded. "I see."

"Forgive me if I speak out of turn, my Lady," said Zhu, "but why do you ask of me?"

"Because," said Qiao, "if you ever speak out of turn again, you will be flogged. With a bian gan." _That_ caused him to wince. "And after that, you will be placed at the very forefront of the fighting, to prove your loyalty." That was the real problem - she simply could not be sure of his loyalty to the Fire Nation, not if he spoke and contradicted her. Little arguments in the war room led to massive mistakes on the battlefield. There was no room for error.

"I understand, my Lady," he said, bowing.

"I don't want to write the note to your family," she said. "I don't want to tell them that you died here. But cross me, and I can almost guarantee it. I suggest you offer your iniquities to the Flame tonight."

He bowed again and stood, walking out. Qiao knew that he would definitely think twice - she had linked her own prosperity with his. His family, which had made him soft, would reforge him into a weapon once again.

It had been that way when she had taken over the shattered remnants of the 41st Division. Inspiring the loyalty of one man was not so difficult.

---

They'd travelled for roughly a day on the main road. Now that the front had shifted so radically, they had no need to fear patrols. The road had led them through woods, across wide deserted plateaus, through mountains and by waterfalls, and now here they were. One more day, and they would see the sculpted city of Be Cing Xe. One more day and the war would be caught up with them again. Only one more day.

"And so, having already burned the fiscal report for the city," Airoh chuckled, "he turns to the Finance Minister with this innocent look on his face. The Minister picks him up to hand him to somebody else - and little baby Zuko sneezes soot all over him!" He cracked up, and Reiko joined him.

Zuko sighed. It was going to be a long, _long_ day.

They were sitting around a campfire, and the night was dry, peaceful. And without any tea to distract him, Airoh had fallen back on his one and only recourse - telling stories. Tonight's session happened to be embarassing baby stories. It was always about him. _Always_. Why couldn't it be about somebody else for once, why always him?

"If you're quite satisfied, Uncle," Zuko growled, "perhaps we should consider our plans for getting past the Fire Army tomorrow? Following the Avatar is getting ready to look like a tricky proposition."

"Oh, but nephew, you already know it!" he said with a grin. "We already know that trying to get by the army is basically impossible. It would be best just to walk up and be honest about who we are. It will definitely confuse whoever's in charge."

"But what if they kick us out?" asked Zuko. "What if they decide the army's camp counts as Fire National Property and that I am unwelcome? That puts us right back here!"

"It is a bridge to cross when we arrive at that point," said the retired general with a dismissive air. "You shouldn't worry so much, Zuko."

They turned to stare at the flames, and it seemed as if Airoh was working up another story. But just as he opened his mouth, Zuko said, "I'd like to hear a story, Uncle."

Airoh looked at him oddly. "But you haven't wanted a story in a long, long time."

"I know... but I want to hear one now."

"And what would you like to hear?"

"About Be Cing Xe."

He couldn't have blamed his uncle for being angry, or flustered, or ashamed. It would have been normal for anybody else. He got none of these, however; instead, his Uncle calmly sat there and merely said, "Ask."

"What is it like?"

"Oh, it's beautiful. Everything seems so clean and well-kept, even in war times. Sunlight will glisten off of the roofs, and you'll hear children playing some times..."

"The defenses must be very strong to permit people that sort of freedom."

"Oh, not terribly. Nothing that couldn't be broken down with time and effort."

"They must have had gardens to grow food, and places to stockpile it."

"They did, but they ran out some time before they defeated us."

"But _how_ then, Uncle?" asked Zuko. "How did they beat you? They held out for 600 days! Most cities break in two to three months!"

Reiko shifted forward attentively as Airoh looked at them both. "Because," he said, "Be Cing Xe is the spiritual capitol of the Kingdom. The Temple of the Mountain, at the city's core, is a fortress as well as a spiritual refuge. The people of that city are zealots of an exceptional degree. Their faith gives them confidence, and they are able to fight when we can not, survive when we cannot. When we came for them, they had faith that the Heavens would rule on their side."

"But Uncle, no such thing happened," said Zuko. "There was no great miracle to save them, no judgement from the sky to say you were wrong!"

"Didn't it?" Airoh countered. "We gave up before they did, didn't we?"

Zuko didn't have a good answer for that. As he mulled over the answer, Airoh began another tale - a riproaring adventure involving, of all things, flatulence. Zuko tried to stop him, but by the time he realized what was going on, it was too late.

---

"Shin, there's something I don't get about you," said Sokka. Day had broken on the horizon, and the time to descend on Be Cing Xe was at hand. Sokka had Appa's reins, while Aang, Katara and Shin were preparing to defend. Yuki wasn't technically doing anything, but her eyes were live with excitement.

"What is it?" asked Shin.

"Whenever you do your magic trick-"

"Bending."

"Whatever... but when you do it, you always get this really distant look on your face. Like a trance or something."

"Anybody who can Bend does that."

"But it just seems weird for you."

"Well, there's a reason," Shin shrugged as they descended through the clouds. "When a person Bends, they feel their element. It's kind of like looking at something out of the corner of your eye - you know it's there, but you just can't see it. So, when you Bend, it's like you're bringing it into focus." Shin raised a hand, and the air began to shimmer. Sokka looked at him and noticed that his eyes had gone rather distant suddenly. "The problem with our element, though," he said, "is control. We lose ourselves in all the little bits of emptiness, following connections and severing them at will. If you're not careful, you find you can destroy anything, regardless of whether you meant to or not."

Sokka paled slightly, but managed to shrug it off. "Whatever. So I guess you're all pretty powerful then, huh?"

"I suppose," said Shin as the spheroid nothing disappeared. "Power over the void is measured in terms of how many connections can be broken at any given time. One or two is considered weak, while hundreds of thousands is strong."

"Fascinating," Sokka intoned in a bored voice. But the sight when they reached below cloud level snapped his attention back to the present. "Heads up!" Below them, red uniforms surged in activity, a bleeding wound upon the Earth. As the giant beast raced toward the city, the army below let loose their response.

Flaming arrows arced up at them, but any that got even close were snapped back by a watery lash. Those that slipped by were suddenly embraced by tumultuous breeze. Gouts of flame tried to lick the beast's underside, but suddenly they seemed to stifle and die.

Sokka stuck his tongue between his teeth as the sandy walls loomed before him. He gently began to pull up on the reins, causing the giant to rise. Arrows flew all over the outside of his field of vision as the others worked to break or deflect the projectiles, until suddenly--

"Rocks!" Sokka heard Yuki call. "They're launching rocks at us!" _Just a little further, just a little further_... Crashes echoed as the rocks impacted on the wall. There were grunts of strain behind him, and he heard other crashes behind him. And they were almost there, so _very close_, just another two seconds, please-

The giant soared over the lip of the wall, to the astonishment of the jade troops stationed there. Appa glided to a graceful halt - or, at least, as graceful as a beast of his size and girth could manage. Sokka heaved a sigh - they had made it.

"_Look out!_" came the shout from the wall. Flaming stones were sailing through the air, coming to crashes inside the city walls. Buildings caved in under the bombardment, collapsing to the ground in dusty heaps.

The three Benders leapt from the saddle, eyes scanning the skies. A massive boulder traced a fiery arc and fell down toward them. Before any one could do anything, a shadow leapt and intercepted it. The shadow was vaguely human shaped, and seemed to be kicking the thing in mid-air. The boulder shattered in mid-air.

The shadow landed and threw up its hands. Rocks and stones that would have fallen stopped in mid-air. The figure lowered his stance and whirled, hands tensed as if clasping something. The projectiles swung in the air and - when he let them go - sailed back into the enemy camp. Other Earthbenders arrived, stopping boulders and shooting them back at the enemy. The crash of the weapons echoed for moments stretching on, but everything quieted down soon enough.

"Whoah," was all Aang said.

"Yeah," said Yuki. "Who the hell is that?"

"Why not find out?" asked Shin. The group walked forward to the figure. No longer shadowed, they could tell he had long hair. His frame announced great strength, every movement as he rolled his joints speaking of a careful restraint.

"Um... 'scuse me!" said Aang.

The figure turned around and they all gasped. "You..." whispered Katara.

----

Kishi: This is probably the most predictable character EVAR. But that won't stop me.

Anyway, a couple things I believe were left out last time:

Whipping Branch - this is a term for a deflection in which the arm whips down and the body shifts aside.

Bian Gan - Hard Whip. You remember that weapon from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon? The one Shu Lien uses in the fight against Jen? Looks like a stick, but shatters stone? You know the one.

And now, we present:

... cricket... cricket...

DIRECTOR: Where's the Omake sign?

PROPS: Don't look at us! It was Kishi's job to make it!

DIRECTOR: Well why hasn't he? Get him up!

SHIN: Good luck with that. We've been trying to get him up for a while now, but he hasn't said a word.

DIRECTOR: Oh, he did _not_ go to sleep!

SHIN: I think he did.

DIRECTOR: _DAMNIT!_ He's going to pay for this!

Avatar: The Last Air Bender is copyrighted to people who aren't me. I don't know who they are, otherwise, I'd give 'em credit.

The only things I own in this story are those things that I perceive as being original, and thusly are mine. If you recognize something that you came up with first, all credit goes to you.

I have no clue where you can contact me. I think the address is in my profile…


	12. Down to Earth

Kishi: Dedicated to the Lady Hotspur - for writing a great Zuko-fic that isn't Zutara. And because she just rocks in general. Check her out!

---

Kara-No

Chapter 11

Down-to-Earth

---

"You..." Katara whispered. She couldn't believe it. He'd changed so much. He'd once been so skinny, looking frail in his tunic. His hair had once stood up in a Kingdom topknot and been bound back with a green band. The young man who stood before her now, though, was built of stone harder than those he Bent. He looked like he could crush a stone in his hands if so inclined. His hair was also bound lower now, a single tail that sprouted from the nape of his neck. There was no tunic here, either. Black pants and a green cotton jacket were his clothes now.

Haru, for his part, looked awfully surprised to see them as well. "Katara? Aang? What are you two doing here?"

"Oh, yeah," Sokka grumbled. "Just forget about the non-Bender. No, I didn't help get you out of the rig, not me..."

Haru laughed. At least his eyes were the same - still that light, easy shade of green, like grass bowing in the breeze. Katara found herself fighting down a blush - absurd! So they'd fought together against Fire Benders, and so he'd just helped them out now, and so he was good-looking - no good reasons!

"It is good to see you all again," he said. "But it's a bit of a surprise! How'd you guys end up all the way over here?"

"We came here to study Earth Bending," said Aang. "But, still! I had no idea you were going to be here."

"It was my father's idea, actually," Haru replied. "He says that there's nothing more I can learn from him and that I should learn from the best. So he sent me here."

"That was really brave of you," said Katara, "coming here in the middle of a war and everything." Well, it was. She was _not_ trying to flatter him. She wasn't!

"Well," said Haru, sheepishly grinning and rubbing his head, "there wasn't a war going here when I arrived, you know. I didn't even intend on fighting at all. But so many soldiers fell, and Master Jigen thought we should help out, and I've been out here ever since."

"Haru!" a voice called. They turned to find another young man, similarly dressed and built, but with blunter features and less hair. "The soldiers say they can take it from here, so we're planning on heading back to the Temple."

Haru turned and looked to the group. "That's right! Master will want to talk to you all then. Come on!"

He walked off into the ruined city, Aang and the others close behind. As they walked through the streets, they could see that the siege had taken its toll. Craters littered their road, and the buildings lining were in a poor state of repair. Some were missing their roofs, and there were gaping maws rent in some of the palaces that they passed. But the people seemed calm, at ease, as if there wasn't a siege at all. Market stalls still lined the streets, and laughter and play could still be heard as they passed certain plazas.

The mountain at the center loomed ever higher, windows and tiers sticking out apparently at random. As they approached, they could see massive gates, and the angles of some of those windows made the purpose of this place readily apparent.

The gates looked too massive to be moved by a single man, but Haru stopped, lowering his stance. He took a large step forward, pushing with his hands. His arms seemed to strain, and they all could see why - the gate slowly ground open.

_So it's true_, thought Katara. _He _has_ gotten so much stronger_.

The group walked inside.

---

"Allow me to be sure I understand you," said the Lady Qiao. "They walked up to the guards."

"Correct," said Colonel Zhu.

"They identified themselves as Prince Zuko and General Airoh."

"Correct."

"Without any subterfuge?"

"None that we could detect, my Lady. Nobody would dare impersonate those two. They can only be who they say they are."

Qiao wanted to grind her teeth, growl, show some sign of how annoying this development was. Airoh and Zuko represented two unique quantities in the system – exiles, but important exiles. Both were related to the royal family – and their status was capable of being restored. And worst of all, Ozai himself had been strangely silent on the fate of his seed. As long as Zuko didn't violate the edict to not return to Fire Nation waters, the Lord did not seem to care what happened.

Her only choice, then, was to turn to the law, and the law dictated loyalty to royalty no matter what, and her life was forfeit if she failed. So now on top of the siege, she had to play nursemaid to an arrogant princeling and a doddering old man.

_Ridiculous! I'm a soldier, not a nanny! _The indignity of the situation made her want to bite something. A frown would have to suffice.

"So where are they now?"

"They are in a guest tent," said Zhu. "They are under guard at the moment. We await your decision."

"Very well," she said, striding out of her tent. She walked through dirt paths and row upon row of tents. Soldiers and servants all stopped to bow in some way, no matter how hurried they were. She could hear the sounds of hammers as the smiths worked on weapons and armor. Shouts and catcalls could be heard as she passed – never immediately around her of course, but she could not deny them their opportunities for camaraderie.

She continued walking for another five minutes before arriving at the only tent with guards outside. The two were tall and forbidding, filling their armor impressively. Hard to believe they weren't even 25 yet.

They saluted tersely, pulling aside the entrance folds of the tent. Upon stepping in, she found almost exactly what she'd expected – the two Exiles. The third with silver hair was a surprise, but she could hardly be important. Probably a servant – nothing more.

"Ah, Lady Qiao!" exclaimed the retired General. He stood and bowed politely, and she bowed in kind, matching him perfectly.

"General Airoh," she replied, allowing a trace of a smile. Doddering or not, the man was charming.

Zuko stood also. "Lady," he said, inclining his head.

She rose from her bow and turned to look at him. "Prince Zuko," she replied, but she would offer him nothing. He was the one without honor.

The moment stretched. Zuko's eyes hardened, and his jaw clenched. She found herself wondering what he would say when Airoh broke in: "So, how goes the siege?"

"As you would expect," she replied. "However, your presence here is a surprise. I suppose you are intent on capturing the Avatar."

"Has he been sighted?" asked Zuko, his voice holding signs of excitement.

"That, Zuko," she said, "is not your concern."

"Excuse me?" Zuko growled.

"Zuko, you forget yourself," she warned. Her voice was soft and cold – snow on a winter day. "You have no honor. I owe you nothing."

"The Avatar is key to me regaining my honor," Zuko replied. "It is not a question of debts. I understand that you owe me nothing. Rather, you have an opportunity to bestow honor upon me."

"And why should I?" she asked

"Because nobody deserves to live a life without honor."

"That is true," she conceded. "Anybody deserves honor. There is only one kind of person who does not."

Zuko stiffened. "What sort of person does not?"

_Why ask? You already know the answer_. "A traitor," she replied. "And they deserve no honor, because they have never had it. How can they deserve something they never had?"

"I am no traitor," Zuko growled.

"And yet you are an exile. How can you be one... unless you are the other?"

"I am _not_ a traitor!" Zuko roared.

"You spoke out against the Fire Lord," Qiao said coldly. "In front of all his generals. You conspired against Zhao during the Arctic Campaign. Yes," she said to his surprised expression, "I know what happened there. I know you fought openly against the Admiral - and rather than explain yourself, you ran. Rather suspect activity for one so loyal, isn't it?"

Zuko didn't fidget - she didn't imagine he could - but he did seem uncertain. She watched his face harden, and decided to push him just a little further off-balance. "Still," she said, "you are my guest. And guests are accorded certain honors - such as quarters. And guards at all hours."

"Guarded quarters? So we're prisoners?" he snarled.

"Prisoners? Oh, not at all," she said with a chill smile. She stood. "You are merely my honored guests who I seek to keep from harm. You don't object, do you?"

Plainly, Zuko did, but Airoh hurriedly interjected: "Not at all! Please show us to our quarters! It has been a long journey, and we could use a rest."

"I believed you could." As if on cue, soldiers entered the tent. Lady Qiao bowed to the retired General, turned, and walked away.

---

"Master Jigen!" The group had walked through vast sandy hallways, passed truly massive emerald columns. Haru had led them past all the rooms in this place, so Aang couldn't really sense what sort of place it was, but by the sounds. Dull _clangs_ rang throughout the hallways. Some doors allowed the sounds of chanting - what sort of prayers did the Earth Kingdom say?

Some rooms he passed gave the impression of great size. He could hear shouts, heard rumblings and crashes. _Those must be the Earth Bending rooms_, he realized. He felt a shudder of excitement go through him - it'd be great!

Their odyssey through the mountain ended in a room that was strange. A shaft of sunlight illuminated the center. A man was standing in the center of a field of rocks, on a stone that jutted out like an island in the sea. There was no denying it - the man's wrinkles had wrinkles. His beard was long and white, stretching down to the middle of his chest, and it seemed to be the only hair he had. His green robes hung off of him loosely.

As the group watched, the man stomped. A portion of the sea burst upward, and he swept those rocks off to another section. He stooped low and pulled other stones off to the right. Then he stood straight, staring again. He made a motion, like picking something up, and one of the larger stones lifted. His arm moved it, as though it were a crane, and dropped the stone to the right of where it had been. Another to the left. Another even further left. Another le- no, ri- le- he couldn't make up his mind, apparently.

"Graaah!" the old man shouted, dropping the rock. "How could anybody contemplate the mess I'm making? I might as well make a panda out of this!" The old man groaned, shaking his head.

"Master Jigen!" Haru called out.

The old man looked up. "Ah, Haru! I trust all is well in the city again?"

"Yes, master! And I have good news!"

"What, that those annoying alarm bells stopped? That's news enough!"

Haru shook his head. "No, master! The Avatar has arrived!"

"Has he? Splendid." Jigen's stone suddenly slid forward, through his rock garden until he leapt off at the edge. "Well done in conveying them here, Haru," said the master, leaning a grandfatherly hand on the younger's shoulder. "Now, I want you to fix this garden for me."

"You mean the garden that you couldn't figure out?" Aang asked.

"Indeed! A younger mind will have to prevail," said Jigen as Haru bowed and turned toward his master's mess. "But forget this old man's troubles with Bending and bowels and the bends therein. We are honored to have you here, Avatar."

"One is honored to be here," Aang replied, bowing. "I've come to study Earth Bending."

"You don't say?" the man asked. His eyes twinkled with amusement. "My, but you are in the wrong place, aren't you?"

"Ah... I'm sorry?"

"You need to be a few floors down, in a beginner's room. Out the door, three flights of stairs down, and the room on the left should suffice."

"Ah! Yes!" Aang bowed and turned to run. _What a strange old man_, he thought with a grin as he dashed out the door.

---

"_Damn it!_"

"Zuko, you must calm down!"

"_I am calm!_"

"Then please stop burning a hole in the carpet. I happen to like the patterns."

Zuko stopped his pacing, and took a deep breath. And another. And another. His hands gradually unclenched, and his jaw relaxed. The single frowning eyebrow didn't budge.

"There," said his uncle placatingly. "Isn't that better?"

"No," said Zuko. He crossed his arms. "I don't like this, Uncle. What the Hell is this Lady trying to pull on us?"

"What do you mean?"

"This game!" he snapped. "Why is she playing with us? She outright accused me of treachery! According to the law, I should be dead! And here we've been placed under guard?"

"I don't think she is playing with you, Zuko," Airoh said, scratching his chin thoughtfully.

"Why not?"

"Because she follows orders no matter what. If Lord Ozai had decreed your death, she would have killed you. But you have not broken the edict. As such, it seems she was merely stating her opinion of you."

_She will have something to say when I have my throne!_ "But if she thinks so little of me, why the guards? There's a whole army to watch me."

"For protection," his uncle said with an amiable smile - which froze. "Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless the Avatar is here," said Airoh with wide eyes. "In which case, she has to keep you out of the way. She knows you'd be after him in a heartbeat if you knew he was here, and your death would complicate things for her back at home. So she deliberately tells you those things to get your blood up, and keep you occupied--"

"-Long enough for her to let on to her officers what's going on," finished Zuko. "They've had all day to alert their soldiers, set up patrols, keep their eyes-and-ears open..."

They sat there in stunned silence.

Suddenly, Airoh burst out laughing. "What's so funny, Uncle?" Zuko bit out.

"This is one clever Lady we have!" Airoh laughed. "She played you like an instrument!"

"I didn't see you coming up with any bright ideas!" Zuko snapped angrily. Further comment was cut off as the tentflap pulled away. The dying sunlight illuminated Reiko's slender frame as she stepped in. Her escort nodded and let the tentflap fall.

"Your tea was in stock," she said to Airoh. "Shall I prepare some for you?"

"Later," hissed Zuko. His uncle's disapproving glance could be dealt with later. "What did you find out?"

Reiko glanced at the entrance, but there wasn't a sound from the guards. And the canvas was good and heavy. There was a good chance that nobody would hear them. Her voice was very soft, though, as she said, "The Avatar _is_ here."

"I knew it," muttered Zuko. Even though he was being quieter, a certain hard edge had found its way to his voice. "I knew it."

"But there's more to it, my Prince," she replied. "Lady Qiao has an interesting history. I may need Airoh's help to corroborate some of this."

"Go ahead, my dear," said the General. "Provided we can get our hands on some tea later."

"Of course," she smiled. "In any case, it seems that right after you were banished, there was a massive battle between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom. A youth unit - the 41st - was used to bait several Earth units into a trap."

Zuko's eyes widened. Airoh nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, I remember that had been a plan that my brother was considering. I _had_ heard news that soldiers were moving out soon before we left as well..."

"So they did it any way," said Zuko. His fists clenched. "What happened?"

"The plan backfired," she said, and her voice held a touch of sadness. "The Earth Kingdom attacked, and the 41st shattered almost immediately. When the other units arrived, they were only able to fight to a stalemate, and both sides withdrew."

_So... I couldn't make any difference_. "What happened to the 41st?"

Reiko gave him an odd look. Perhaps something in his voice...? No. He had more control than that. "They had 1,000 soldiers at the battle," she replied. "Their part lasted a day, and there were barely 300 left at the end. Their commanding officer had also been slain in the battle, and there was much negative sentiment in the remains of the unit."

"The protocol in such things," said Airoh, "would be to diffuse those soldiers into the rest of the army."

"Yes," said Reiko, "but nobody wants insubordinate soldiers, and the paperwork involved with the court-martial of 300 soldiers was not considered desirable."

"You still haven't answered my question," said Zuko.

"The fate of the 41st was considered uncertain, until Lady Qiao intervened."

"Tell us about her," Airoh implored.

Reiko frowned. "These people don't know all that much about her themselves. She's a low-born noble from some obscure house. As near as we can tell, she had no prospects, so she volunteered for military service. She had just been promoted to the rank of General when she volunteered to take the leadership of the 41st."

"She volunteered for them?" asked Zuko, astonished.

"Yes. She managed to convince them to keep on fighting and reformed the 41st into the core of her army."

"How?"

"Well, nephew," said Airoh, stroking his tuft of beard, "she seems adept at handling anger."

"Fair enough, fair enough."

"Now, how about some of that tea?" asked Airoh, clapping his hands and rubbing them gleefully. Reiko smiled and stood, willowy grace again, but Zuko's eyes were not on her. He was thinking of Lady Qiao, and the story he'd heard.

"I think," he said presently, "that you are right, Uncle. This is some Lady we have on our hands."

---

The quarters that Master Jigen had provided were as adequate as the prison cell in Omashu - good soft beds, draperies, wall scrolls. It was interesting, though, that she and Yuki had been roomed separately from her brother and Shin. And Yuki had left to practice, which left her with nearly nothing to do, so she left.

At this time of day, the corridors teemed with life as students meandered between training and dining areas. The halls rang with the sound of all those voices as the youngers ran to keep up with elders. She could see servants in drab olive contrasting sharply with the green robes of the students.

Katara let the stream of people pass her by, flowing through the crowds easily. It wasn't that she disdained conversation with these people, but she couldn't deny it. She wanted to find Haru. He was a friend she had risked much for, and she wanted to see him again. So she passed by rooms empty and full. She did not touch any doors - the bells and chants announced what happened in _there_ - but let her feet lead her through hall after hall, room after room.

Finally, she arrived at a near-empty room. This room did not have the pristine unbroken earth of the others, but was littered with holes and craters. There was only one person in here, and Katara leaned on the door frame to watch.

Haru had shrugged his jacket down to his waist, and his body streamed with sweat. He was in a low Hill-Climber stance, arms stretched out in front of him. In front of him hovered a positively _huge_ hunk of earth. The boy didn't seem to be doing much - simply holding it in place, tense, breathing in a controlled motion. Yes, she was noticing his breathing. No, she wasn't staring at his chest for the sake of it.

But she couldn't deny that he _was_ pretty to look at.

Finally, he dropped the rock and swept out of the stance. He opened his eyes, and that was finally when he noticed her. "Katara! What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to catch up!" she said with a smile. "I hope I'm not interrupting, though."

"Not at all," he said with a grin. "Just finished..." He stretched, sighing and shaking himself.

"So," Katara grasped for something, anything to talk about. "Why here?"

"Hm?"

"I mean, why did you come here?"

"Well, father said I'd learned all I could from him. He wanted me to come here, so I did."

"I see. So how are things back home?"

"They're great!" said Haru, a huge grin on his face. "When father returned, the villagers all rose up! Everybody hated the idea of the Fire Nation sticking around, so they fought all the harder."

"Haru, that's wonderful!" Katara beamed. "I knew you could do it!"

"Maybe," he said. Then his face took on a certain shy aspect as he said, "To be honest, though, it was because of you."

Katara blinked. "Me? Why?"

"Because!" said Haru. "You inspired us to fight back! It was your words that reminded us what we were fighting for. And you gave me my father back, and my home and... and..."

"And what?"

"And... well..." he said, "you kinda inspired me to come here too..."

_Awww..._ She smiled at him. "Well, it _is_ good to see you again."

-

Gray eyes watched the going's on, and large ears listened. Aang sighed as he watched them before trudging off to the dining hall.

---

Kishi: And that's it for this one!

Hill-Climber Stance: it's a forward stance, with most of the weight on the forward leg.

Yeah. I think that's about it.

Kishi: Anyway, that's it! Hope y'all enjoyed it! Join us next time, when--

:a tech guy runs up to Kishi and whispers in his ear:

Kishi: What! But-- oh, come on!

DIRECTOR: Sorry dude! You should have done an Omake last time! You _pay_ now!

Kishi: Okay kids, I better explain it a bit. Hotspur and I once came up with an idea wherein I, a chaste and dateless loser, would date all the tough, seductive women of Avatar. That means Suki and Zula, but also means Yuki (of my story) and Hotaru (of hers - Downfall, a great work if ever I've seen one). Looks like this is it.

DIRECTOR: The good news is we're only going to make him do this once!

Kishi: Thank God!

DIRECTOR: We're having him date all four at once!

Kishi: AAAGH! Wait a minu

Omake no Toki! Shichiban! Futarino Himekoya Futarino Mushaya Hitorino Sabishii Otakuwa Nakade!

(Time for the 7th Extra! Two Princesses, Two Warriors, and One Lonely Geek in the Middle!)

_KISHI: Ah, great! Okay, so let's see. I'm in a fancy restaurant in a white tux. Classy, classy. And it does seem that this restaurant is divided up into four parts._

_(Indeed it is. The restaurant is divided into four distinct square sections, with a central hallway that interlinks them. The tables are filled, the music's going. What shall our hero do?)_

_KISHI: Grah. All right. Let's try door number one._

_(KISHI dashes off to the right - and is stunned. Waiting for him is HOTARU, her hair in buns, in a black cheongsam dress with no sleeves. She smiles up at him as KISHI walks over and sits down in front of her)._

_KISHI: Hi! Sorry I'm late!_

_HOTARU: That's all right. I ordered the wine for us, though._

_KISHI: I see. I hope you weren't waiting too long._

_HOTARU: It's fine. I must say I like your taste in restaurants._

_KISHI: Oh, well, thank you. I'm glad you approve._

_HOTARU: I do._

_(HOTARU bats her eyelashes. KISHI blinks)._

_KISHI: Whew! What a lady! And you're telling me I've got three more? And I have to balance them! EEEK! . No, no, steady, steady. You haven't lost this yet, man. Hold it together. Now, let's see about this other section._

_(He runs across to find a similar room - only this time, it's Yuki, in a blue gown. She offers him the slightest grin as he sits down)._

_KISHI: Gosh, but traffic's a killer this time of day!_

_YUKI: It looks like you ran all the way here._

_KISHI: Something like that._

_YUKI: Good! I ordered the meal already, so now all we have to do is. well, catch up._

_(YUKI gives a very seductive grin, and KISHI blinks rapidly)._

_KISHI: Well, it's not as if there's very much to catch up on, is there? We work together, remember?_

_YUKI: I know. It doesn't leave us much time to get close, does it?_

_(YUKI leans closer, to illustrate her point. KISHI unconsciously follows the motion, and he is afforded a view which he normally wouldn't dare to take)._

_YUKI: You look so very tired! Have you been sleeping well?_

_KISHI: Yes. when I can._

_YUKI: Oh, how sad!_

_(She gently glides a finger across his cheek)_

_KISHI: I'm gonna go splash some water on my face._

_(KISHI runs back into the Hall Between)._

_KISHI: AAGH! IT BURNS! And yet I can't bear for it to stop._

_(KISHI shakes his head angrily)_

_KISHI: No no no no! No! Stay focused! You haven't even gotten to the other two yet!_

_(KISHI runs into the next room and finds the table with food already prepared. ZULA is sitting there, a petulant look on her face. Her dress is short and red, and she's tapping the table impatiently)._

_KISHI: I wish I had a good excuse._

_ZULA: Wouldn't change anything._

_KISHI: I see the food's arrived._

_(KISHI pokes at his steak)._

_KISHI: Exceptionally well-done, too._

_ZULA: It wasn't brought that way._

_(ZULA laughs behind her hand. KISHI gulps nervously)._

_KISHI: So. uh, about that next season. how's it shaping up?_

_ZULA: It's going well._

_(Her hand trails along her face, along her neck to her shoulder. Her fingers graze the strap of the dress suggestively)._

_KISHI: Wonderful! Be back in a sec!_

_(KISHI doesn't hear ZULA's indignant squawk as he dashes away. In the Hall:)_

_KISHI: Wow, way to be a virtuous man there. Damn it! These women are so beautiful. heck, at this rate, one glance will do me in! How am I supposed to hold up? Aaagh. well, can't go back. Only keep going forward. Who's left?_

_(KISHI steps into the last room. SUKI is sitting there, resplendent in a green kimono with gold floral prints. She looks up and smiles brightly)._

_SUKI: KISHI! It's good to see you!_

_KISHI: You too, SUKI._

_(KISHI sits down tiredly)._

_SUKI: Is something wrong?_

_KISHI: I'm just tired, you know? I feel kind of overwhelmed._

_SUKI: Duty can do that, can't it?_

_(She leans closer)._

_KISHI: I know! I just don't know how to handle myself, you know? I want to do the right thing, and yet I don't too._

_SUKI: It's not an easy path. But you know what, KISHI?_

_KISHI: Hm?_

_SUKI: Well, it's kind of a secret, and I don't want anyone to hear._

_(KISHI looks at her skeptically and leans in a little closer)._

_SUKI: It has to be followed. And I know you can do it, I truly do._

_(SUKI brushes her lips against KISHI's cheek.)_

_KISHI: Funny. I'd expect to be some form of dead at this point._

_(A loud shout) _KISHI!

_KISHI: Ah. Here it comes._

_(The other three stalk up to him)._

_HOTARU: KISHI, what the heck are you doing?_

_SUKI: You mean I'm not the only one?_

_KISHI: Eh, no. it's a funny story, really. See-_

_ZULA: Screw it! You've been telling stories all night! The real question here, simply:_

_(Flames appear in ZULA's hands).  
_

_ZULA: How long will it take us to kill you?_

_KISHI: Umm._

_YUKI: Let's take our time about it. I don't mind sharing._

_HOTARU: Oh, I insist! My ideas require... group effort._

_SUKI: He _does_ deserve it._

_ZULA: Meh. I'll give you what's left of him._

_(All four look at him consideringly)._

_KISHI: HOLD THAT THOUGHT!_

_(KISHI grabs the first thing that comes to hand - a pepper dispenser. He quickly grinds some and throws it into the air. As all start sneezing, KISHI stumbles past and starts running. The others quickly give chase, pursuing him out of the restaurant. All disappear down an alley away from view)._

_DIRECTOR: And that's a wrap! You guys can come out from the alley now!_

_(There's no response)._

_DIRECTOR: Hello!_

_(Nothing)._

_DIRECTOR: Oh great! They're trying to take his virtue! I suppose someone's gotta save that knucklehead. OKAY BOYS! JUST LIKE WE PRACTICED!_

_(Firemen descend on the alley.)_

owari.

Avatar: The Last Air Bender is copyrighted to people who aren't me. I don't know who they are, otherwise, I'd give 'em credit.

The only things I own in this story are those things that I perceive as being original, and thusly are mine. If you recognize something that you came up with first, all credit goes to you.

I have no clue where you can contact me. I think the address is in my profile.


	13. Wind in the Willows

Kishi: Ah, another day, another dollar, another chapter. Let's begin.

---

Kara-No

Chapter 12

Wind in the Willows

---

It was the ringing of the bells that alerted Aang to what was happening. He'd been here a month and a half, and the response to them was immediate, ingrained into him by Master Jigen. He quickly abandoned his game of fetch with Momo – the poor lemur had needed some attention, and he would be sore over this, Aang was certain – and ran out the door, glider in hand. In the hallways, other Earth Benders were running, their faces belying excitement and anxiety.

Aang's feet had memorized the paths leading to the northern exits. They led him through numerous sandstone galleries, through hallways with murals depicting Avatars past. Scripture ran across the tops and bottoms of these pictures, but Aang hadn't been terribly interested in those parts even when he'd had time to look at them. His interest had been focused more on surfing through the halls on a rock that he'd called up.

Occasionally a window would break the monotony of the walls, allowing him views of the carnage outside. The burning rocks of the Fire Nation's Army were falling like comets, crashing into buildings and leaving flaming craters. The ground trembled with their coming, and with the rumbling reprisals of the Earth Benders outside.

Sunlight illuminated his exit, and he ran toward it, throwing his glider ahead. He leapt onto it and was suddenly one with the breeze. He let the air fill the wings as he rose above the carnage, flying northwards. As he looked to the west, he saw some of the boulders disintegrate, huge holes blown in them. Shin had showed him the technique once - stepping forward with a thrusting punch. It seemed to be going to good use now.

He dipped low, flying down into the city, gliding through the streets. Stands and people blurred past before he finally skidded to a stop, right in the clear between buildings and wall. His eyes scanned the skies, waiting for the first projectiles. He heard shouts near the wall – ah. The Fire Nation must have thought to coordinate this strike with an attack on the walls. _Can't focus on that. Soldiers are not the target. Just keep the boulders out!_

The first flew over, and Aang took a step back, drawing tensed hands after him. The flaming black mass followed him before stopping. Aang shifted his weight back forward and thrust both palms back out. The boulder shot back over the wall.

Then another, then another, one following the other. Thinking quick, Aang made a quick kick, leaping in the air and spinning a roundhouse. The first boulder shuddered and flew into the second, shattering both.

His eyes scanned the skies, but they saw nothing but empty blue.

"Avatar!" a voice called down. Aang looked at the walls, where one of the soldiers was waving. "All clear!" he shouted. Aang grinned and waved back. The air no longer trembled with the tolling of the bells. Good. It had been a short attack this time.

There had been others in his month-and-a-half here. There had been days when the bells pealed before dawn and after dusk. There had been days when it had been one black rock after another after another. Smoke had substituted for clouds, and the sun had been dim, a pale reflection of itself. Those were the days when Aang stumbled through rubble-strewn streets, bloody-knuckled and covered in ash. Those were the days he couldn't understand the cheer of these people when he felt so tired, so dirty, so worthless.

He started to walk back through the streets, where people were already calling out to each other. It was true that he would walk these streets to assist others if they needed it – and sometimes they did – but it was just as much so that he could take courage from these people.

"Hey Jiro! How many holes in your house today?"

"Can't you see? I got two nice ones for my bedroom! Now we have a breezeway! What about you?"

"Oh, you should see the gift the Fire Nation gave us! A huge hole for our living space! Now we can see the sunsets!"

"That's not fair! I wish they'd have done the same for me!"

Aang chuckled. Jiro and Khan had kept up this contest of theirs every day he was out there. They weren't the only ones, though. Everybody he met seemed to find a way to joke about the situation.

Unless there were dead. _Those_ people amazed him. He had been called upon to help dig through rubble, and he had found dead bodies before. The families would always weep, then. And he would walk back to the Temple, sit on some stairway that nobody crossed, and just weep. Yet when he saw these same people again, they would smile watery smiles and thank him for working so hard, thank him for making sure that more wouldn't die.

How could they be so grateful? _How?_ How could they find joy in so much sorrow?

Aang did not understand it one bit.

It seemed, however, that this would not be one of those days. Aang smiled gratefully as he listened to the jokes about him, but his smile could not lift him up the stairs as he walked toward the Temple. He could not deny that the Earth was growing heavy.

---

Without the shouting and commotion assorted with firing into the city, the camp resolved back into its naturally feverish pace. Messengers ran the paths between tents, looking for this officer or that, looking to get these supplies or those. There were shouts and curses being heard as men limped toward the medical tents. The tapping of hammers echoed from the siege engines.

As hindering as the crowds were, Reiko could appreciate her two guards for the virtue of their sheer size. It allowed for efficiency in performing her tasks. Anybody who stood in her way would instantly step aside for the two mountains that walked with her. It was such a strange sensation to think about it sometimes – these two were massive, with bulging muscles and huge weapons. The horns of their helmets, coupled with their hardened faces, added to the impression of their might.

They would be easier than lifting a feather.

Together with her escorts, Reiko walked up to the vendor. The lady working there, a kind-faced soul with thick arms and eyes of a decided gray, smiled at her. "Ah, Reiko! It's so nice to see you again!"

"And you as well," said Reiko with a similar response. "Have you been well?"

"Ah, you know these military types," said the vendor. "Always manage to keep things interesting. What about you?"

Reiko's smile didn't change, but she felt a thrill. Now the game was on. This lady – Ling, an informant – needed to be informed of her progress with Zuko. The game was to code the message in just such a way – vague enough for the guards to pass it off, but just so.

"Oh, as dull as a servant's life can be," she said. "The master calls, and I must answer."

"Isn't that always the way?"

"It is. But my master is difficult sometimes. He is not allowed outside our tent at all, so he is often very short-tempered. And since the Prince has nobody else to speak with, he always takes it out on me!"

"Oh, you poor dear," Ling clucked. "He's probably just desperate to do something."

"Perhaps," Reiko allowed. "That remains to be seen. I do hope that he will let off soon, though. It does try one's patience."

"I imagine so. Will you be needing the usual?"

"Yes ma'am," Reiko nodded. She handed a ticket to Ling, who proceeded to match it up with a box. She knew the box's contents – tea and rations. Seasonings were at a premium, but her fellow occupants were both soldiers – they were used to worse. Ling hefted the box onto a table, and one of Reiko's escorts rifled through the contents. When he was done, he turned to the other and nodded.

"Will there be anything else?"

"No ma'am," said Reiko. She rubbed her hands together, almost as if she were wiping off dust. "I suppose that will be all, then—"

Suddenly, there was a loud grating noise. People stopped to look about, and then gasp. The supply depots were all surrounded by guard towers – wooden things, easily assembled and easily manned. Only now they were falling apart, as if the very rope bindings had been cut.

Men in the platforms screamed as they dropped to the ground, but their cries were lost in the sound of timber crashing.

As people started toward the wreckage to help the victims out, Reiko's escorts seemed conflicted. She looked up at them quietly.

"I'm too weak to help with any of that," she said. "But I won't go anywhere. You could catch me very easily."

The soldiers hesitated only a second more before nodding to each other and walking off to the wreckage.

"Well played, dearie," Ling murmured.

"Thank you," Reiko replied. "You understood my message?"

"Yes," said Ling, as she snuck a pair of long, narrow objects into the box. "Zuko has grown dependent on you for contact with the outside world – and he's growing desperate. He wants to make a bid for freedom. I assume you have it all in hand?"

"Yes."

"Well, just be sure you don't let him die, now. We need him to live for a while yet."

"No worries," said Reiko. "I will be with him. I remember the plan. The fall of this city is only a part of it."

"Got it. I'll relay the word back to our leaders. Stop by again some time. I don't get to see many of the People anymore."

"I understand," said Reiko with a smile as her guards stepped back toward her. She bowed, and walked away, with the rear soldier carrying her provisions. The path back to their tent offered no incidents outside of the ordinary. The press of humanity always seemed to be just shy of crushing itself.

They arrived, finally, at the tent, and Reiko shifted the canvas aside. The General was lying on the ground, napping in a sunny spot. Zuko, for his part, was doing push-ups on his knuckles. His shirt was off, and his knuckles were wrapped in some sort of cloth.

It had been like this every day. Whenever Zuko felt like going outside, he exercised. Push-ups. Sit-ups. Horse Stance. Always a little more, always a little longer. He even performed his forms - or at least, as much as the space of the tent allowed.

As she watched him, she couldn't deny a certain admiration for him. It wasn't that he was handsome - though he was, no denying that. Rather, he was driven. Nothing ever stopped him from pushing harder than in previous efforts. He was so _driven_, so dedicated to whatever he did.

It almost reminded her of herself. And with that came a sudden stab of sadness. Zuko was truly a beautiful human being - someone who inspired loyalty and gave without thought of personal cost. _Such nobility_, thought Reiko. _I will regret killing him_.

---

"Don't worry, Katara," said the lady in white next to her. "This is the last one."

"Are you sure?" asked Katara. "I saw some others being brought in. If you need me to, it wouldn't be any trouble to-"

"This is the last one," the nurse said, and something in her tone said to Katara that there wasn't going to be any discussion on the matter. She nodded mutely.

The room was dull brown stone. Windows faced off into the south, allowing some degree of light in. Beds lined the walls, platforms raised from the earth and lined with dull-colored cushions to make the rest easier. Some held bodies, some were empty. The wounded were quiet, all asleep, either exhausted or drugged to stillness. Katara ordinarily found that sort of thing reprehensible, but she spent so much time hearing their screams that she would take any measure to get them to silence.

This last one had her arm at an odd angle - it almost seemed to dangle at halfway through the forearm. Katara paused at her age - 9? 10 years old? - before looking to the arm. "The bone's going to have to be reset before I can do anything," she said.

The nurse nodded, before offering the little girl a smile. "Now, now," she said. "This isn't going to hurt."

"Please don't touch it," the little girl begged. "Please, please, it already hurts, don't wanna hurt no more, please--"

"Shhhh," the nurse whispered, still smiling. "Where's your mother at?"

"Dad brought us both here," she said, sniffling. "Mom carried me as far as she could, but once you guys took me, she just sat down and went to sleep. She's out in the waiting room now, I think."

"I see. You guys lived out in one of the southern districts, right?"

"Yes," said the little girl, calming down. "We live near one of the gardens."

"Really?"

"Yes! Mommy always takes us to visit! I remember this one time when-"

There was a loud _crack_ as the bone was reset.

Raising her hands, she began to move them all over the girl's arm without touching it, concentrating despite the girl's yowling. It subsided soon enough, though, as the girl began to tremble, as though caught in a vicious cold.

Finally, it was done. "There. Her arm's done."

The girl stared with wide eyes as she moved her arm, flexed her fingers. "There, now," said the nurse, drying the girl's tears with her apron. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Guess not," the girl mumbled, still marvelling over her arm.

"Sanae!" the nurse called to another. "Take this girl back to her parents. I think she's had a big enough day, don't you agree?"

Sanae walked over, smiling as the little girl slipped down from the bed.

"That went quicker than I thought it would," Katara said. She dashed a hand across her eyes - _stay awake! stay awake!_ - before turning back to the nurse. "I can still see to more. Let me take care of some of these others here."

"I think not!" said the nurse, shaking a finger at Katara. "It's a wonder you're not in bed with these others! You're going right back to your room even if I have to have you carried there under guard!"

Katara nodded, surprised out of numbness by the sweet-tempered nurse's vehemence. She walked out, stretching as she did, fighting a yawn as well.

It had been like this for a while now, really. Her powers over water weren't considered overly useful for deflecting rocks. She'd volunteered to fight fires, and had proven useful - until they learned of her ability to heal. At that point, they'd asked her to join on with the hospital staff, and while she had resented it to a certain degree she couldn't deny that she was probably most useful here.

But she had dedicated herself to it nonetheless. At first, she'd just volunteered for normal shifts - a few hours here, a few hours there. But the wounded kept piling up, and she found herself volunteering for more and more shifts. The staff would tell her her help wasn't necessary, but she knew they were grateful. The less bodies there were, the better.

That didn't change that she was dead tired, though. Irregular shifts, irregular meals, irregular sleep. No real training to speak of. If she had the energy to be vexed at her situation, she would have been, but she was too tired.

She walked the hallways back toward her room, focusing one step at a time. As long as she took it that way, didn't think about what was coming, how long she'd be working, she could deny that she was so utterly drained, could just focus on the moment.

Being so tired, though, often meant missing the little things - like the fact that she wasn't walking, so much as stumbling along, and that if she didn't watch out, she'd trip over her own feet. She managed to make it to the last stretch of hallway, the one leading to her room, when it finally caught her. She pitched forward, but she didn't even register that it was happening. It wasn't until her face connected that she realized she'd tripped.

"Um?" her landing place asked. "Katara? What are you doing?"

She blinked and looked up into green eyes. Haru? What was he- had she just crashed into-? Oh. Awkward.

"Haru? Sorry! I didn't mean to-"

"You look terrible," he said with a frown. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine! Really!" she said with a hasty smile. "I just got a little tired! Don't worry, I'm--"

"Did you just work all night again?"

"I..." Well, the circles under her eyes would give her away soon enough. She nodded.

"Just as I thought," he said. "Honestly, Katara, you've got to get some rest. People can't get by without sleep!"

"Don't treat me like such a child!" she snapped. "I do get sleep!"

"How much, then?" he asked.

"I got three hours worth last night!"

He looked at her critically. "Three hours."

Well, it had certainly sounded better when she thought it. "And now I'm going to get another four before getting a meal and going back to help again."

He looked at her, his gaze incredulous. "Katara, you've got to slow down and get some rest."

"Can't," she said, shaking her head. Why couldn't she bring herself to move from his arms? When had his arms gotten there, anyway? "People need me. Can't stop just 'cuz I'm a little tired."

"Katara, are you even listening to yourself?" He started to guide her into her room, an arm about her shoulder. Katara didn't want to admit that it felt good to have something to lean on.

"I'll be fine," she growled. "Just let me get some rest."

"Of course," he said, and before she had any say in the matter, he swept her off her feet and set her on her bed. "And no getting up," he cautioned.

Katara fought her blush back down. That insufferable--! How dare he-

She collapsed into sleep.

---

_Breathe in... breathe out... focus it all down to nothing..._

Taking another breath, Aang shifted down into a lotus. The rocks were now adjusted into the four cardinal directions, with himself sitting on the fifth. He closed his eyes and let his mind relax, letting all the extraneous thoughts drift away to nothing. He knew better than to fight them - that only led to the resurgence of the thought he sought to destroy.

The arrangement of the garden wasn't without purpose. The four directions represented the world. North, south, east, west - his concerns covered all of these. He had already been in the north and the south - now he lay in the east, and would begin his journey to the west. He was in the land of beginning, seeking the end. He was the center - the Avatar, the hope of the world. His concern, his compassion, was for all the corners, all the world.

_And why shouldn't it be? Observe the wind - see? It does not favor one thing above the other. See how it fills the sails of a glider, the wings of the bird, brings the sun, brings the storm. It is not stuck in form - it adapts, fills purpose, and then goes elsewhere, remaining itself. Air is invisible, invincible._

_Can the wind be contained? No, never - it's gone as soon as you try. The wind has no master. It has no attachment. Wind needs nothing._

_That is you, Aang, isn't it?_

Katara.

_No. That's attachment. You exist without her._

_Am I happy without her?_

_What is happiness? Nothing more than a phase of existence. It is countered by sadness, and both part leaving balance._

_Then I don't need her._

_You do not. You are the wind, and wind needs nothing._

_So why do I feel so empty without her?_

_You are empty. You are the wind._

_But the wind exists! Without Katara, it's as if I'm somehow... less. Like I don't exist._

_Feeling passes. Existence remains._

_And that's exactly the problem._ Aang opened his eyes. He blinked a couple times, and shook his head.

"Aang! Are you messing up my garden again?" Master Jigen stalked forward, his brown robes flowing about his form more fluidly than they should have on an old man.

"Sorry, master!" he called out. "I still don't remember how it went originally."

"Honestly, kids these days," said Jigen, "no respect for design. So, what's on your mind?"

"Oh, nothing much."

"Please, Aang. I've seen you here for a month. You never take anything seriously. You almost never do any real studying to speak of unless we're there to monitor you. So obviously you've got something on your mind."

Aang sighed, and looked away. "That obvious, huh?"

"Afraid so, child," said Jigen. "Frankly, if you were depressed, I was hoping you'd hide it a bit better. But since you seem intent on bending my ear, I'll give it to be bent."

Aang looked back up to say it was all right, but Master Jigen had already Bent several rocks to form a sitting hill for himself.

"Well," Aang finally said, "there's this girl."

"It's Katara, isn't it?"

Aang stared. "How did you--"

"You've been asleep for 112 years," said Jigen. "When you awoke, she was the first thing you saw. I've heard this story before. Not to mention you've spent all this time travelling alongside her and her brother. I know there are girls here, but it'd be a surprise if you were interested in any other."

"So you already know."

"Yep."

"Then you already know my problem, too."

"Which one is that?"

Aang sighed. "Master, all my life I was told that I had to be like the wind. I must not form attachments. I must not like or love any one thing above any other, because attachment causes suffering."

"Sounds like Nomad philosophy."

"Yeah, but Master, I don't know what to do about this!" Aang exclaimed. "Katara's always been a friend to me. She means so very much to me, she really does. I see her with Haru, and I know he makes her happy! That should be enough for me, shouldn't it?"

"It could be."

"But it's not," Aang said, and his voice grew bitter. "It _hurts_ to see them together. I want to be the one who causes her happiness, not him! How can she like him so much, anyway? We've only been here a month! She traveled with me far longer than she knew him! So... why..."

"The heart's funny like that," shrugged Jigen. "Katara obviously sees something in Haru that she doesn't see in you, and she's attracted to him because of it."

"Yeah," sighed Aang. "Yeah. After all, how can a kid measure up, right?"

"I never said that."

"So what am I supposed to do?"

Jigen looked Aang in the eye. "I have an answer for you. But I cannot give it to you now."

"Why not?"

"Because you aren't ready to receive it. You are confused, lost. I will not accept that in any student of mine. Before I will answer your question, you must first answer mine."

Aang looked at the master expectantly. "The question," said Jigen, "is thus - do you truly desire to hear the truth? Or is the truth what you want to hear?"

"The answer's easy," said Aang. "It's... well, no... wait, then it's... no, that's not it either..."

"Figure it out," said Jigen, "and tell me when you've found the answer."

---

After witnessing his prowess on the battlefield, most Earth Benders knew better than to interrupt Shin during his training. They knew instead to just remake the earthen dummies that were split so strangely, so cleanly.

Step. Fist. Step. Fist. One thunderous step, almost a standing leap forward. The fist shot out, drilling outward. Step. Knife hand. Step. A clawing hand. Step. A kick. The form went on and on, backwards and forwards, attack and retreat mixing into one powerful line.

It had gone on like this for an hour before he finally walked over and pulled his sword from its sheath. It wasn't a sword like others - it was more of a dao, but it wasn't like those either. The blade was long and narrow, with only one cutting edge. The hilt of the sword was longer, too, allowing for use of both hands.

_I wasn't sure the day would ever come when the sword would carve my path again_, he thought. But it didn't seem that he had a choice anymore. Especially given what he'd seen.

He didn't know how the others had missed it - seeing some of the stones hurled back only to shatter, hollow out and break into pieces. Or cleave in half.

"No doubt," he said to himself. "There's another Void Bender out there. I wonder if we'll meet?" Staring down the blade of the sword, he shook his head, and stepped forward with a slash.

---

Kishi: And with that, I finish. And now I disappear for a few days... only to be back later. But just to leave y'all with a parting gift:

Omake no Toki! Hachiban! Avatar Idol!

(Time for the Eighth Extra! Avatar Idol!)

_SEACREST: Aaaand we're back, live on the set of Avatar Idol! Coming up next, we've got AIROH up! AIROH, how you hangin'?_

_AIROH: I'm doing well!_

_SEACREST: Awesome! What song are you going to do for us tonight?_

_AIROH: I'm going to be singing the song "Staying Alive," by the Bee Gees._

_SEACREST: Whoa, there! You gonna do a dancing tune?_

_AIROH: I figured I should go with something I liked!_

_SEACREST: No prob, there! Bust a move!_

_(the music begins to play. Hands clap in the background as Airoh steps to the beat)_

_AIROH:_

Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk,  
I'm a woman's man: no time to talk.  
Music loud and women warm, I've been kicked around   
since I was born.  
And now it's all right. It's OK.  
And you may look the other way.  
We can try to understand  
the New York Times' effect on man.

Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother,  
you're stayin' alive, stayin' alive.  
Feel the city breakin' and everybody shakin',  
and we're stayin' alive, stayin' alive.  
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive.  
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive.

_(the crowd loves it!)_

_SEACREST: All right! Looks like the people like it! What do the judges say? AANG?_

_(AANG is dressed in a black with shades)._

_AANG: AIROH! Dawg! Ya didja thang! You rocked me on out of my socks over here, bro!_

_SEACREST: All right, that's one. KATARA, what're you thinking?_

_(KATARA is dressed to kill, with a big grin... as usual)._

_KATARA: I'm thinking that was awesome! You've got so much passion and it shows in your singing, and it's wonderful! Wonderful job!_

_SEACREST: That's two! ZUKO?_

_(ZUKO's dressed in red shirt and blue jeans)._

_ZUKO: Uncle... uncle, what are you _doing?_ Do you even know?_

_AIROH: I am standing and singing and enjoying every minute of it!_

_ZUKO: You're joking, right? That was awful!_

_(Only some of the crowd booes. The rest are too busy staring with hearts in their eyes)._

_SEACREST: Right then! Well, go ahead and get those calls in to the number shown below!_

owari

Avatar: The Last Air Bender is copyrighted to people who aren't me. I don't know who they are, otherwise, I'd give 'em credit.

The only things I own in this story are those things that I perceive as being original, and thusly are mine. If you recognize something that you came up with first, all credit goes to you.

I have no clue where you can contact me. I think the address is in my profile.


	14. The Wind Blows

Kishi: Ah, back to work. And I gotta move fast if I'm going to get this out before the summer officially starts!

---

Kara-No

Chapter 13

The Wind Blows

---

Again with the bells. Another day of smokey skies and falling earth. Another day of screams of pain and awful, awful silence. Haru had heard once that the bells had tolled solely for celebration, for holidays and calls to prayer. It must have been before his time. _Way_ before his time; he couldn't recall a time when the bells of Be Cing Xe had tolled for anything but war.

He stepped forward, lashing with an uppercut. The earth erupted upwards, crashing into the falling flaming boulder. He took another powerful step and leapt with a flying kick. The boulder shot back up into the sky.

There was a crashing sound off to his left, then another. _Wow, they're throwing everything at us now, aren't they?_ He saw the next one coming down and dashed after it over the shattered ground. He arrived at nearly the same time as the boulder, and only had time to release his qi in a punch. The boulder collapsed to dust and fell around him.

Haru coughed as the dust matted his hair and stuck to his clothing. They'd been going at it nonstop for an hour now, and he could feel the fatigue mounting. His green gi jacket was ripped in places, and his face was streaming with sweat. He dashed a hand across his eyes as the dust settled.

Then he heard a strange noise off in the distance. It sounded like an explosion - and then rain? But there weren't enough clouds in the sky for that. And then his attention was taken by a new problem - crashes against the wall. Haru looked up to see the soldiers sinking down to their knees, working to stay stable. He ran toward the wall, then leapt and slid to a stop. He could hear the earth cracking and crackling outside. Good. That should keep any soldiers away from _here_ anyway.

Again, that peculiar boom, and the sound of rain. "Is it raining up there!" he called up to the guards.

"No!" one called back. "The Fire Nation seems to be firing some kind of new weapon or something. But we don't know what it is!"

"Right! What about out there? Are there any soldiers coming?"

"No, not ye-_look out!_"

Haru, without even thinking, fell backwards and let the ground wrap around him as he travelled. _Let's see, there should be a house right nearby. I'll come back in there_. He willed himself back up, and rose from the ground inside one of the ruined houses that was still fortunate enough to still have a roof. He walked over to a window and stared out, trying to find where the boulder had landed, see if the wall still stood-

and he stopped and stared.

Fragments of metal jutted out of the ground. They glowed a fiery red. Even though boulders were falling all around him, he couldn't hear a thing, for the sight of the bodies overwhelmed him. Soldiers. Fathers. Mothers. Children. None had been spared - armored bodies fallen to the front, soft bodies speared to the rear.

Haru leaned on the wall, his eyes empty and unseeing. _Gods... they don't care... they don't care who they kill... monsters... every single one... EVERY SINGLE ONE!_ Haru's breathing started to increase, and his hands clenched, cracking the stone sill in his hands. Somebody was shouting somewhere - was it him? Was it someone else in as much pain as he? He didn't know, but he knew that he just wanted it to stop, just wanted it to end.

He dashed out into the clearing and sunk into a low horse stance. Then, with his hands up, he pulled his left hand back to chamber, and pushed the right one out in One-Finger Zen. He could feel his muscles straining, could feel the utter _hugeness_ of the earth he was lifting, but it was so distant because he couldn't drive the screaming from his mind and he just wanted it to stop, _stop_, _STOP!_ He lifted his hands above his head and felt the earth shifting to his command. And then, with every fiber straining, he threw.

The piece of rock he threw would have been better called a small mountain than anything else. It soared over the wall with a fatal grace, and now the shouts were coming from the other side. He _felt_ it crash back to the ground, and now the screams were coming from the other side as it rolled through. Haru collapsed forward, to hands and knees panting. His throat was raw, and his eyes stung, sweat and tears mixing and breeding with reckless abandon.

At least all was quiet again.

---

Zuko stared at the carnage left by that huge rock earlier. Catapults lay in shattered ruin, men crushed and deformed in their armor. Screams and cries of pain echoed over the camp - a testament to the suffering inflicted.

"The plan must have been the same as Zhao's," he mused softly. "Soften them up, then use the Bursting Stars. But the fortifications here are harder to break than back up north. She should have waited longer, kept up with the boulders more."

"The real problem, it seems," said Reiko in her own quiet voice, "is those walls. If they try to knock it down, the Benders on their side just assimilate it into the structure itself. If the boulders land inside, then the Benders just toss them back."

"Small wonder my Uncle had so much difficulty here," said Zuko. "_Everything_ is against us here. Even our ammunition turns around to face us."

They continued to watch as the bodies were carried out on stretchers. Sometimes they spoke, reassuring someone that they were still alive - themselves or the doctors? Who knew?

"But I don't understand something," said Zuko. "Qiao's as cold and calculating as any general should be. Why would she make such a mistake?"

"Nobody is aware of a mistake until after the fact, my Prince," Reiko murmured. "She must have calculated that the people would be rendered cowards by her attack, and made a gamble on it."

"Even if she knew the risk of reprisal?"

"Yes."

"But why then?"

"Because she cares about her men," she said.

Zuko looked at her critically. "You're joking."

"Think about it," she said. "She has never once committed herself to an attack on the walls. She always struggles to break them down from a distance, keeping her casualties to a minimum. But the siege has been dragging on for far longer than it should have. She has to shed blood in those walls, as much as possible, to break them. Once their will to fight is gone, the siege will have accomplished its purpose, and they'll be able to take the city and end this foolishness."

"So she would sacrifice all others for the the good of those she's under," he said thoughtfully. "She's not much better than Zhao, then, is she?"

"Perhaps," said Reiko. "Then again, if she attacked with Zhao's reasoning, she would have committed her troops to an assault already. The siege would be over, but there would a loss of life on both sides too great to call it a victory. It would be hollow, meaningless."

"True," said Zuko. He shook his head. "I don't get this lady at all." Reiko said nothing at all, but followed him on their way back to their tent. Inside, they found Airoh staring at the grounds of tea in his cup. The afternoon sun provided a goodly amount of light through the canvas, and the entrance was wide open to permit the breeze.

"Ah, nephew!" said Airoh. "Did you find out what all that commotion was about?"

"One of the Earth Benders inside the city decided we deserved a taste of our own medicine," Zuko replied. "So whoever it was just threw a huge boulder at us. It's made a real mess of things."

"Yes," said Airoh, his gaze growing distant. "I remember that happening when I laid siege to this place. These are a proud people. They do not bend easily."

Zuko sank to the ground easily enough, but his fists were clenched. "This is no good. Every passing day the Avatar is getting stronger, people are dying, and all I can do is sit in this tent! We have to end this!"

"I suppose you have a plan for it?"

"It's simple," said Zuko. "All we have to do is bring those walls down. If we could get our army inside, I know the city will fall!"

"Our army?" asked Airoh, pouring himself another cup from the rather plain tea set at his side. "We have one? Where?"

"What do you--" then Zuko growled. Of course. It was Lady Qiao's army, not his.

"Still, you have found the crux of our problem," said Airoh with a nod. "We have to get around those walls somehow. Conventional means won't work, and I daresay that the Lady will not sacrifice her troops so readily in an assault."

"Then sacrifice me instead," came a soft voice. Zuko turned to find Reiko staring at the both of them intently. "My Prince, you know I can get through that wall."

"I don't want a martyr to my name," said Zuko. "You're not going in there alone. You need to have some kind of help."

"That won't be a problem," she said. "I will destroy the wall, then, and let the Fire Army in."

Airoh stared. "You realize the task, my dear?" he asked. "That wall is high and thick. And every day, it gets stronger. You would have to knock down all of that, and then keep the enemy army from storming out to meet you."

"They are all made of the same things," she replied with a shrug. "They will all break the same." She turned to face Prince Zuko and pressed her face to the ground. "I beg of you, my Prince. Allow me this task."

Zuko frowned in thought as he stared at her.

---

The training room that Sokka and Yuki were sparring in seemed to be made for weapons work. The walls held racks of swords and dao, staves and sweepers, hammers and even a few monk's spades. The walls were plain dusty brown otherwise, as was the floor. If students weren't practicing or sparring with weapons, they were sitting or standing at the walls. The air of the place seemed a bit more subdued than it should have been, but the Bursting Stars had driven some of the fight from the would-be defenders.

Sokka and Yuki weren't strangers to the horrors of this weapon, so they were able to drive it from their minds and focus on the moment. Both of them held wooden kukri in their hands, and the _clack_ of the impacts was fast and fierce.

"I must say," Yuki drawled, slashing at Sokka's throat. The slash was stopped, and a hand had grabbed her wrist suddenly. Yuki neatly twisted out of the grasp. "Yes," she said, "you have improved."

Sokka didn't say a word, and the calm expression didn't leave his face. Yuki had proven to be a cunning and devious opponent. She was bad enough with the blade in her hand, fast and focused, ever able to find a place where he wasn't watching. But even when he'd gotten to the point where his guard was passable, she'd begin trying to compliment him. He'd taken the bait at first, and he'd paid for it many, many times. Any compliment was more or less the kiss of death, for he would stop to acknowledge - and she wouldn't. It always ended with the kukri at his throat or chest, and a satisfied smirk on her face.

_Uh-uh. Not this time_.

Now he pressed his attack. He came down with an overhead strike. She caught his blade and parried off to the side. He came back with a horizontal slash. She stepped away from it without doing anything. Before she could counter, though, he came back again from the right. This time, she stepped in with her block, throwing his blade back. He used the momentum to swing a fist into her middle. An outpouring of breath was his reward.

He knew better than to ask if she was all right. She'd probably kill him for that.

Still, he'd sent her stumbling, and he pressed his advantage. He began to hack at her, and though she blocked each strike, she still continued backwards. He locked blades with her and pushed. They both slammed into the wall.

Yuki didn't move, keeping her eyes on him. _Have I won?_ he asked. There they were, both sweating and panting. More than a few hairs were out of place on her head, and Sokka couldn't help but notice suddenly how very deep her eyes were. The heaving of her chest wasn't unpleasant either.

"Well done," she said, a very small smile appearing on her face. "Very well done. It seems you've beaten me."

_What?_ "What? But how can that be?"

"Who knows?" she asked. "But you've worked hard, and it seems to have paid off."

"I guess so," he said, but he still wouldn't let her go. Not yet. Something had to be wrong here-

and she kissed him. No warning, no build-up, just a sudden warm pressure on his lips. He was stunned. What was this? What was the reason?

Then the impact of a knee to his groin, and it all made sense.

He crumpled to the ground, groaning in pain. Then he felt a hand yank back on his ponytail, and the wooden blade pressed to his throat.

"By the way," she said in that low voice of hers, "appearances are deceiving. You haven't won anything until you have me dead. Clear?"

Sokka groaned in response. "Good!" she said. "Now. Stand up, shake it off, and let's go again."

---

"I've been thinking about what you said, Master."

"Aang, you make me feel old that way. I'm 89 years young, thank you very much!"

Aang grinned sheepishly. "Right! I'm sorry! I've got less hair than you do, so you're probably younger than me!"

Jigen laughed. They were sitting again in the rock garden, cross-legged and on opposing stones. The order of the rocks didn't seem to have any real significance, but who could tell? Maybe it was a deep philosophical matter or a huge joke. The difference in such things was often pretty small.

"So have you found the answer?"

"I think I have," Aang said. "You asked me if the truth was what I wanted to hear, or if I wanted to hear the truth. Right?"

"Right."

"The answer's easy," Aang grinned. "But it took me a few days to figure out. But here it goes - truth is only and ever truth. If it's ever anything else, it can't be truth."

"Go on."

"If truth was only what I wanted to hear, then I would be attempting to define my reality on my own terms. But that would mean that when the real truth came along, I could be denying it - unless I really want to see the true nature of things."

"But is that necessarily a good thing?"

"Whether it's good or bad doesn't really matter," he replied. "Because it's all in how you take it. It all depends on me, and I have to accept it no matter what it is. How I react to it is up to me."

Jigen looked at Aang for so long that Aang _knew_ he'd messed up somewhere. Then the old man grinned. "Good. Very good. That's the answer I've been waiting for."

Aang sighed in relief. "Thanks."

"Do you know why I asked you that question?" asked Jigen. Aang shook his head. "I asked it because I wanted you to understand something. A person lives his life through a looking glass. Everything that happens to him happens, but the meaning of it is something that he decides for himself. When I asked you, your glass was clouded. If I had told you what I will tell you now, you would not have seen truth. You would have seen either support of what you long for, or a rebuke. You would not have been able to truly determine the meaning of it for yourself."

"I think I get it," said Aang. "In other words, you asked me the question to clear my head. That way, I will truly believe in the truth of what you say, and I can make an honest choice from there."

"Exactly," nodded Jigen. "It's a shame you didn't come by sooner. We could have made a real philosopher out of you."

"I guess that's just how it worked out this time," he said. "But I'm ready."

"All right then. You want to know if you can truly pursue a relationship with Katara, yes? Without loving her above any other thing?"

"Yes. _Please_, I need the answer!"

"You have only to look to the wind," replied Jigen. "I'm aware of the old Nomad teachings, how the wind never attaches, remains in constant flow and cannot be contained. This is true. But the wind fills the sails of a boat and propels it to its destination. The wind cools a fevered brow and offers comfort. The wind supports the wings of a bird and carries it where it wants to go. Would you agree that this is all true as well?"

"Yeah," said Aang, brow furrowed. "I can see what you're saying..."

"Oh please," snorted Jigen. "You're totally confused. You're realizing that though the wind doesn't attach, it does all sorts of things that denote an attachment. You have no idea how this can be."

"Yeah. Gosh, this is weird to wrap my mind around."

"Then ask yourself this - is the wind diminished for its attachment?"

"No."

"It's still the wind, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"It still moves and flows without being contained, doesn't it? Which means..."

"That it's really the wind's choice," said Aang. "The wind can do all that stuff that you just said - but it can do all the other things it does just as easily."

"Exactly."

"In other words," said Aang, putting his head in his hands, "it's really all up to me in the end."

"I'm afraid so," said Jigen. "Not what you were hoping for, I know. But it's really your choice to make."

Aang nodded. "Thanks."

---

Qiao's fingers tapped idly in cadence as she sat. The battle plans for the following morning had been set, damages and casualties had been figured from the day's reprisal, and now she was left to stew and wait for the next of her duties to begin - her appointment with the Prince.

_Such a _waste_ of time_, she seethed beneath the icy calm of her features. _If I didn't have this to worry about, I could have gone over more detailed plans. I could do better things for my men, save them some pain, save others their suffering_ - _and this damnable Princeling dares make me wait!_ The boy was to blame for so much - for the shattering of the 41st, for the delays and complications of the moment that encumbered her every plan. He brought death and destruction with him wherever he went.

The irony of the situation wasn't lost on her. Qiao knew that she was a soldier. Death and suffering were her lot, and she welcomed them as the challenges of her profession. She knew all too well the saying: "To make a bonfire, it requires many logs." She didn't mind burning logs, not as long as the she was making a greater bonfire. Zuko, however, had made a dry and sunny day into a damp and rainy one.

It was just... inefficient. And inefficiency on the battlefield made things worse in the long run.

The tent flap shifted aside to reveal a guard. "The Prince is here for his appointment," he said. Qiao stood, nodded to the Prince as he entered, and bowed to Airoh as he entered.

"I am honored that you have chosen this time to spend with me," she said. And truly, it was an honor. Airoh was the Dragon of the West, after all. She straightened in time to see the Prince's maidservant enter as the tentflap closed. _Unusual_, thought Qiao, _but not unheard of. But why should he bring her when there are plenty of servants here as it is?_

"The honor is mine, that you have received me," answered Zuko with a bow. It was stiff, as if a pair of hands had to bend him at the waist, but a bow was a bow nonetheless. All three of them walked over to the table and sat, and servants filed in with trays for tea.

The silence stretched until it bordered on awkward. Zuko seemed very tense, in Qiao's estimation - posture rigid, eyes never wavering from her, not even for a second. Very odd. Flattering, in its own way, but very odd.

Finally, Airoh coughed. "If I may say so," he began, "you conduct a very good siege."

"I am gladdened to hear so," she replied. "It seems, though, that our friends on the other side of the wall have had a great teacher." No, she didn't _blame_ Airoh for his failure, but it had allowed the enemy some time to gather insights on siege warfare.

"Do tell," said the old man sedately.

"They're adaptive," she said, taking hold of her tea. "Anything we throw at them is either thrown back at us or taken in to build the walls higher. We rush forward, but the ground itself rejects us. We can stop some supplies from entering the city, but then we find the tunnels, and for every one we shut another two open. They seem well-readied for the conventions of a siege."

"Indeed," said Airoh, stroking his beard. "Unfortunately, the conventions of it are all you have."

"I'm afraid so," said Qiao with a shrug. "Still, I've learned not to expect miracles. They will break before I do."

"But at what cost?" asked Zuko. "Every day, people are dying in this siege. This is pointless. It has to be ended."

"I have my orders, Prince," she replied, her voice dropping a few degrees. "I must follow them, no matter what the cost. Unless you are in some position to change them?"

"I cannot," said Zuko, and she could tell the subtle barb stung him awfully. "However," he continued, "I can understand what it is to labor under a heavy burden. You know my task."

"I do."

"You know the Avatar is in the city."

"I do."

"Yet you will not let me seek him."

"Your task is not my concern," she said coolly. "I have laws of my own to follow as well. The laws state that you are to be kept out of harm's way, and allowing you to go after him is in contradiction to my orders."

"Then allow me to show you something," said Zuko. He nodded to his maidservant. She took her fingers into the Knife position and merely tapped the table around which they sat. Immediately the table collapsed, split straight down the middle.

Qiao could not hide her amazement. "What sorcery is this?"

"Not sorcery," replied the maidservant. "A different Bending Art, nothing more. However, this one is without any counter ability. I can destroy any obstacle the enemy creates."

"What I am proposing, here," said Zuko, "is an opportunity for both of us to finish our tasks. If you allow me to be at the forefront of your army, I will lend her services to you to break through the walls."

"I see," said the Lady. "In this way, we both meet our goals." Zuko nodded. "And what is to keep me from taking from you here and now?" She watched Zuko stiffen even further. "A well-conceived plan," she said, "but I will not take this bait." She clapped her hands, and the two burly guards entered. "Take this woman," she said.

The maidservant stood, docile in her servant's garb. Zuko started to protest as the guards drew closer, on both sides - and then the maidservant exploded into motion. She flew toward the first guard, sinking rapidly, fist striking the knee. There was an audible crack, and the guard shouted in pain as he fell to the ground. The second guard thrust his spear at her. The maidservant flowed to the inside, and thrust a Serpent Hand to the the guard's throat. The guard stumbled, clutching his throat, then collapsing backward.

With no hesitance, the maidservant grabbed the spear before it even hit the ground, spun, and had it at the Lady's throat.

Qiao's face was schooled to stillness, but inside she felt exhilirated. _Amazing_, she thought. _Is this feeling... is this truly fear?_

"I am not to be bartered," the maidservant said, serene and calm as a still pond. "I am Zuko's servant, and his alone. Only he can command me. I will only help you if you help him."

Qiao stared at the haft of the spear and at the calm face of the servant, taking in the shocked, gaping expressions of her company.

"Let me call my officers in," she said, finally. "We must plan this."

---

Down in the courtyard, ice-blue eyes watched Haru going through his exercises. It seemed to be more conditioning work - low stances, holding the stones as high as he could, as long as he could. The eyes watched him, his eyes closed in concentration, struggling to keep the strain from showing.

All in all, Katara wasn't sure what to make of things right now. The soldiers had found him sitting silently near a gorge that hadn't been there before. He hadn't spoken two words to anybody since his return, barely acknowledging her and going straight to training.

And now here he was, distant in more ways than one. Every limb was shaking with exertion, and Katara hoped that he would show some sense and break out of the stance before he overworked and collapsed--

Haru dropped at the same time as the stones. His knees buckled, his limbs flailed, barely catching him before he hit the ground.

Katara sighed. "Something the matter?" came a familiar voice. She turned around, and there stood Aang, looking tired as always.

"It's Haru," she said, leaning again on the earthen railing. She heard Aang lean next to her as she continued: "Something's wrong with him. They found him out near the western wall, with a huge hole in the earth and lots of dead. He hasn't hardly spoken a word since they brought him back. He just buries himself in his practice."

"It must have been horrible," said Aang, watching as Haru sat and fought for his breath.

"The soldiers who brought him back were talking about finding a lot of strange debris at that part of the wall."

Aang's eyes widened. "No way. It couldn't be that same thing from before, could it?"

"Maybe," said Katara. "I hope not, though. Once was enough."

They continued watching as Haru wearily climbed to his feet and stumbled off into the temple mount.

"I guess you must really care about him."

"Of course I do. He's a dear friend. He's humble and kind and caring, and he's a good person at heart. He deserves better than this," Katara replied. "Honestly, he's on call at any time, be it day or night. He goes out, pushes himself to the utmost, and then comes back to eat and work some more." She sighed. "He really worries me sometimes. It can't be good for him to work like that."

"I see." She turned to see that Aang looked a little crestfallen, but there was still a look of determination on his face.

"What about you, Aang? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," he said, summoning a grin from far away. "Just tired. We're all tired."

Katara nodded, looking out over the war-torn city. Smoke billowed from tiled roofs. Rubble littered the streets. There were no children at play out there, and the city was shrouded in a dreadful stillness. Yet even in this moment, there was still something about this place - something firm, committed, unshakeable. The fire would be burnt out before this city budged an inch.

"Katara?"

"Yes?"

"I... look, I've been thinking, and..."

"And?"

"And... well." His eyes searched the stone for the words he would say. He seemed to find them, bringing his eyes to meet hers. "You came with me to find a Water Bending master. We found one. And... things are just going to keep getting worse until the war is over. And you have Haru here too and... there's just..." He sighed, and spoke so softly she wasn't sure she heard him: "There's just no reason for you to keep going with me."

_What?_ "Aang, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I think it would be best if you stayed here, with Haru."

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm coming with you."

"No." The uncertainty of his voice was fading. "You mean too much to me. You're one of my best friends. Katara, if something happened to you, I don't know what I'd do or think or say. You're better off here, where it's safe."

What _was_ this? She'd proven herself as able a combatant as he on several occassions. They'd been in dangerous situations before this, even, and he'd never said a word. Where was this coming from?

"You mean a lot to me too," she said, frowning at him. "Do you think I could just sit here, day after day, just listening to the news about you?"

"But you and Haru," he persisted, color rising in his cheeks. "You just seem so concerned about him, and I know he's glad to see you too..."

What did Haru have to do with this? They were just _friends_, for Heaven's sake! There wasn't anything going on! The only reason he could possibly think that would be-

Oh.

No. No way. He was just a kid!

_No he isn't_, a voice answered in her mind, and she looked at him. Aang was still light and wiry, but the Earth-style training had solidified him, his movements containing a power not present before. His eyes still held a glint of childish glee, but something else was trying to slip in there too - a grief, or a revelation, something adding age to his depths. His clothes - once clean and well-kept - were frayed, matted with dust and sweat. He didn't stand before her here as a gallant child - he stood before her as a young man.

That still didn't give him the right to cast her aside. She wanted to help him. Didn't he realize that he was valuable to her too?

She turned back to the city, the wind pulling at her blue tunic. "Aang," she said slowly, "Do you remember what you told me that night, before we reached the North Pole?"

"Yeah."

"Have you stopped believing in me?"

"What? Of course not!"

"Then what's the real reason you want me to stay here?" She turned to look at him, and _now_ he seemed uncertain. "You can tell me."

"I just... just wanted you to be happy," he murmured softly. "You've traveled with us for so long, worked so hard. You don't hardly ever complain about it or anything. And when I saw you with Haru, you seemed so happy about seeing him. If you come with us, you might not ever see him again. I just didn't think it was fair to you."

"Aang," said Katara, "I said I believed in you, and I still do. I know you can do this, and that you don't need me to do it. But you don't have to sacrifice me to do it. You don't have to face the Fire Nation alone."

"Katara..."

"Enough of this," she said. She smiled at him and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm going with you when the time comes, and that's that. Got it?"

He stared at her arm, followed it to her face, and the grin he gave was golden. "Thank you."

---

Day, as it always did, faded to the night, and the moon offered soothing light. Peering down upon the ruins from her rooftop perch, Yuki sighed. _This is such a waste!_ she thought. _We have to take the fight to this enemy! This stalemate's only wasting lives. It _has_ to end._

_Yeah, just like last time, remember?_ She shook her head. There had to be a way to break this, but the Fire Nation had numbers and weapons and lots and lots of time. Much as she wanted to fight directly, she knew they were holding all the cards.

She sighed, feeling the familiar itching beneath her bandages. Oh well. It was time to air-out anyway.

She began to unwrap the bandages, already feeling the relief of the cool night air. She continued to unwrap, until her hand began to appear. Unlike her fingers and face, the skin bore no resemblance to cinammon, but was discolored and scarred. As she continued to unwrap, revealing more of the same covering her arm, she ignored the memories of fire and debris and suffocating and pain and

"Yuki?"

_Dammit_. She quickly hid her arm in the shadows of her tunic and turned to the source of the voice. Sokka had steppped hesitantly on to the roof and was looking at her.

"Can I help you with something?" she growled.

"What? Uh, no, that's fine. I just wanted to show you something."

"Well? What then?"

"It's just... well," he said, pulling out a pair of sheathes. Yuki recognized the symbols as Tribal - the sea engraved along one side, with the moon shining down in the center.

That was right. He'd proven worthy of steel today. Holding one's own against her was no easy task. But he'd grown so very much in their time together, holding the weapons with such confidence that it had bred competence. The time had come.

Still, damned if she was going to let him see what she truly looked like. Keeping as much as she could to her own shadow, she smiled at him. "They look very nice. You did well today. You deserve the real thing."

"I guess," he said, grinning broadly. "I _am_, after all, the best warrior in the Southern Water Tribe."

"The only one too, as I recall."

That deflated him a little. "Still, that's not the main reason I came here. I just wanted to say thanks."

She blinked. "What for?"

"If it weren't for you, I never could have learned how to use these," he said. "So, thank you, Sifu."

Yuki offered as much of a bow as she could. "You're a good student," she said. "You work hard and work not to repeat your mistakes. Any other teacher would kill for a student like you. It's been an honor."

"Thanks," he beamed. Then he looked at her. "Say, are you okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"It looks like you're cradling your arm or something. Are you injured?"

_Oh, in so many, many ways_... "I'm fine. But if you don't mind, I came up here to be alone?"

"Oh, uh, right. Yeah. Um, anyways. Thanks again!" Sokka retreated down the ladder and disappeared.

She knew she'd been rude, too abrupt. He hadn't deserved that at all. He'd worked so hard, and all he wanted to do was celebrate it. As his teacher, she should have taken the time to sit down and talk with him, let him celebrate and take joy with him. _But he can't know_, she thought. _He can't know about what I really am. I have to at least _look_ like I'm still whole, not this ugly, misshapen... thing._ She shook her head. He was better off not knowing.

---

Kishi: Ai-yaaa. I got too much on my mind to even think of omake. This is what happens when the 13-hour/day schedule carries on for months and months and you write in-between, you know?

Avatar: the Last Airbender is (c) to


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